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Updated November 21, 2009 NEW
AUSTRALIA DAY BALL
HONORING SAM NEILL
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Along with his amazing acting career, Sam Neill is also a lover of Nature. He is a trustee of NZ National Parks and Conservation Foundation. In 1993, Sam began his career in farming and proved that not only can he bottle sex in a glass, he is also a damned good dirt farmer! We dedicate this page to Farmer Sam in gratitude for his foresight in NZ conservation, his support of the local economy as a founding member of Central Otago Wine Company, his abiding and deep love of the Land. Welcome to the Real World of 
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Show business is like sex. When it's wonderful, it's wonderful... But when it isn't very good, it's still all right... But this does not apply when it comes to winemaking... Quality must always be improved on with each vintage... Two Paddocks Wine has been rated 89-94 in wine magazines. This rating is very, very good, and Sam's wine now is requested in Britain, China/HK, Australia, Ireland, United States, and Canada... If Sam had never been an actor but farmed all his life, he'd still have acheived celebrity status. After all, not all wineries can boast; "It's Sex In A Glass." ~ Mary Ann Sam Neill's New Zealand Vineyard http://latimesblogs.latimes.com Corie Brown 12:14 PM, Mar 20 2008 Like most Pinot Noir vintners, Sam Neill found his original inspiration in the red wines of Burgundy. But "we're hanging by our fingernails" in New Zealand's Central Otago region, he says. Rather than try to imitate Burgundy, Neill says he and the other pioneers in the world's southern-most wine region are finding Central Otago's marginal climate produces wines with "its own kind of excellence." In town for his day job as a Hollywood movie actor ("Jurassic Park", "The Piano" among his dozens of film credits), Neill sat down with me at the Four Seasons Hotel to talk about his passion for Pinot and his just-about-to-be-released line of "Picnic" wines. At $28, it's his "affordable" label. Neill already was living in Central Otago when stone fruit trees started giving way to vineyards in the 1990s. He jumped on the bandwagon, planting 5 acres of Pinot Noir in Gibbston in 1993. He later added vineyards in the Alexandra District and is in the process of further expanding his vineyard acreage. For the 2007 vintage, he will make 1,400 cases of Two Paddocks wine. That's a "good year" in Central Otago, he says. An early frost can virtually wipe out a vintage, as it did in 2005. "There will only ever be certain pockets for grapes in Central Otago," he says. Small producers will always dominate the local wine culture. That doesn't mean the ambitions are small, he says. "In our own modest way, we want to make the world's best Pinot Noir. And I'm completely delighted about the way things are going." The trick, Neill says, is to control crop yields to produce "concentrated" wines. But in this extremely cool climate, the alcohol levels on even blockbuster wines can be moderate, between 13% and 13.5%. "We're finding a style that is more or less unique to Central Otago," he says. "The tremendous clarity of expression in the Pinot Noir, the vividness of the fruit, I think, is connected to the utter clarity of the light in Central Otago." The limited production, however, can make tracking down bottles of Two Paddocks a challenge in Los Angeles. That's part of the reason Neill started buying grapes from other New Zealand regions including Hawkes Bay and Marlborough to produce 2,000 to 3,000 cases a year of Picnic. In addition to Pinot Noir, he produces a Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling under the new label. The 2006 vintage of Picnic arrives in Los Angeles-area stores next month. The 2006 Two Paddocks will be released in June. Both labels, like the vast majority of New Zealand wines, are closed with screw caps. After losing 25% of his 1999 vintage to cork taint, Neill went screw cap and never looked back. Things are edgy enough on New Zealand's South Island, he says, without worrying about corked wine.  
TWO PADDOCKS REVIEWS BY SAM'S FANS
 I recently acquired a bottle of Picnic Pinot Noir...
What a better time to share this treasure welcoming our new neighbors to the area. This also gave me an opportunity to get another opinion...
I'm kind of biased as I find Two Paddocks Pinot Noir a delight to the senses, but I digress...
We all agreed Picnic Pinot is top-notch in every way... The bouquet is very light, mingling with fruity flavors of red berries; perfect with a simple buffet, brunch, or as in our case, alone... Cheers - Two Paddocks, PICNIC PINOT is A1... ~Mary Ann Christoff Sam Neill's family vineyard is located in Central Otago New Zealand...Dedication, skill, and climate has produced a grape of intense ripeness and flavor... Mr. Neill prefers a low yielding vineyard as compared to high yield... Low yield brings to the table a better quality grape with a more intense flavor... Having been fortunate to have savored this top quality wine; with confidence I can give you my opinion... Two Paddocks has a wonderful fruity flavor, earthy and full bodied; maybe that's where the maxim "Sex in a glass" comes from... We all have different palates... So the next time you are looking for well balanced, elegant wine... Two Paddocks should be at the top of the wine list... ~ Mary Ann Sam Neill – Two Paddocks Pinot Noir I have been enjoying Sam’s Two Paddocks pinot noir since 2002, when I purchased my first bottle of Two Paddocks pinot noir in 1998 at the Red Kangaroo in Scottsdale AZ. I’ve have the distinct pleasure of enjoying a 2001 Two Paddocks pinot noir this afternoon (May 6, 2007) with friends. It was just as impressive as the bottle I had years ago. After allowing the pinot to breathe, allowing it to open and oxidize, it released its peppery, dark cherry bouquet, and the typical red wine acidity softened as time passed. Sam’s pinot began with a bold spicey bouquet and finished lively as the blackberry and earthy mineral flavors remained on our palette. This gift from Sam Neill and Two Paddocks was an exceptional addition to our prime rib steak. Sam, thanks for making a good steak into an enjoyable meal with friends. ~ Pat Olstad. Phoenix, AZ. Picnic Sauvignon Blanc 2006 by Two Paddocks- You think at first taste, that it will be sweet...and you're waiting for it, but it's surprisingly dry and spicy, as it lightly smiles on the palate. The sentiment on the label reads, "We regard picnics as the best of times. Family, friends, bacon and egg pie, the thermette and a little New Zealand scenery. What more has life to offer? This crisp, refreshing sauvignon blanc is meant for those days. Chill in the creek first. We wish you many happy times like these..." ...and the chill of a cold stream would indeed bring out the blend of all those crisp hints of pepper, ginger and light fruit. Perfect for that warm, sunny afternoon, with a bit of cheese, crackers and fruit, or as a toast to the first blush of Spring, when the bottle has spent a few moments in the last of the melting Winter snow in the back yard, with a late afternoon salad. ~ Shy Fan Make Sam Proud - submit your own review of Sam's wine!
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