Moon plants stars soil trees microbes fungi mammals bees, we all are, URLAR.
As we sink deeper into winter, the vineyard embraces biodiversity in our soil.
This is represented in the woodcut above - created by New Zealand artist, Catherine Sleyer. Catherine has drawn inspiration from the words above, an excerpt from the poem which subtly features on all our bottles and embodies the idea that through all seasons, we all are URLAR.
Now Open - URLAR’s Cellar Door
We are THRILLED to announce that URLAR’s cellar door at 140 Dakins Road is now officially open! Join us every Friday to Sunday, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, for an afternoon with friends and family sharing our organic Wairarapa wines and seasonal country fare.
Hosted by Tess and Brian, they are excited to share the URLAR story and showcase our exceptional range of local wines made right here in Gladstone. Come along for a tasting or enjoy the carefully curated menu from our talented in-house cook, Susie. There may even be library wines available on certain days!
This project has been a huge effort from everyone involved, and the detail shows with unique pieces in the cellar door.
Check out our feature wall made from individual pieces of Farm Totara and our stunning deck overlooking the lake with panoramic views of the vineyard - the perfect spot to enjoy a drink in the summer sun, or on a warm winter’s day.
To find us simply follow the signage from SH2, down East Taratahi Road and you’ll find the signage. If you get stuck, simply give us a call on 027 324 9488 and we’ll do our best to guide you.
We look forward to raising a glass with you soon.
The Winery
Winter is definitely here now! Wine from harvest is safely tucked away in barrels, and the winery team is tasting and topping up regularly to keep the wine fresh. Ullage (the air space between the wine and the top of the tamp) is an enemy to winemakers! Grace, our Assistant Winemaker, has been doing this every two weeks.
When tasting, we are sampling and checking the malic acids that convert to lactic in reds, and some whites depending on style. This lowers the total acidity, bringing richness and density to the wine’s texture and body.
The team is also preparing white wines for bottling soon - URLAR Dry Riesling, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc from 2024. These are cold stabilising and will be filtered in the coming weeks before going to bottle in the next two months, ready for an early Spring release. We’re really pleased with the season and how these wines look, so please keep an eye out for them!
In the background, we’ve had the builders finishing up their work in our space and have been eagerly awaiting the cellar door’s opening. There is lots of cleaning and preparations happening as part of the long but exciting project.
The Vineyard
It’s pruning time in the vineyard and the team is working their way through the vines, row-by-row, and gently removing the old wood to allow new wood to grow through. We then go through and mulch the branches with a tractor and mulcher returning the nutrients back to the soil as part of the vine’s life cycle.
Pruning can be a tricky job for new team members to learn. It requires technique and practice to get it right, but it’s a crucial part of preparing for the next season and producing high-quality fruit for our wines. They have been doing a great job.
Our Wairarapa weather gives mixed conditions so on rainy days the team can be found doing maintenance work around the vineyard and servicing machinery to make sure we are well-prepared for the next season. There’s always plenty to do and the more we do now, the easier it is later in the year.
The Highland Cows, including Hamish & Heather who were named through our social media channels back in 2020, are doing well and still contributing to our biodynamic preparations including Preparation 500 which is the use of horn manure. You can learn more about this on our website, or check out the update we shared recently on Instagram showing how much Hamish and Heather have grown!
