THE LATEST NEWS FROM LOT EIGHT..................

Welcome to our e-newsletter where we aim to keep New Zealand and overseas visitors to our website informed and entertained with news from the grove and afar.

Newsletter – January 2012

Yes, the New Year is here.  At LOT EIGHT we did plan to slow down for a bit of a break between Christmas and January 9.  We did think that things would slow over the holiday period, but forgot that some of our customers enjoy some of their busiest times now.  Hence, deliveries continued albeit on a scaled down level and we have caught up with some wonderful customers during the break as well.  

The last weeks of December 2011 were hectic for us as business continues to grow.  A two-page feature in the ‘Wellington Today’ magazine lifted our profile and provided a wonderful opportunity for some of our suppliers and customers to advertise their links with LOT EIGHT.  We are very proud of our “LOT EIGHT family” of suppliers, contractors and customers and were overwhelmed by their support.  We feel that we work together extremely well with a common set of values.  We always welcome opportunities like this article, working with the WLG restaurant in Melbourne, the City Market in Wellington and supporting significant events to acknowledge those relationships and we look forward to more opportunities in 2012.

We had a wonderful tasting day at Kirkcaldie and Stains on the last shopping day of 2011.  This has become something of a tradition to be there for those looking for the last minute gifts and best of all, we meet old customers keen to catch up.  The Cuisine Department had a stream of customers all day and the staff remained courteous, helpful and with a welcoming smile, making Nalini wonder if one could develop RSI from all that smiling. This time we also found favour with a number of visitors off the cruise ship in Wellington for the day.  Apparently marinated LOT EIGHT Olives are great with cocktails while leaving port and our oils make exceptional gifts for those left at home.  

A number of those on the cruise were South Australians from the McLarenvale region and included a few olive growers, who were very complimentary of our extra virgin olive oils, particularly our Red Label.  The popularity of the Red Label continues to be strong and despite increased production this year agagin, we have sold out of 250 ml bottles here at the Grove. Ardent followers need not worry as we still have stocks of the 500ml bottles.  You may still find the 250ml bottles in some of our stockists.  This is the oil that so impressed our visiting Spanish oil experts in October last year and the same oil that they believe should remain untouched for six months from pressing, which is about now.

Our corporate gift options found favour as well for Christmas. Nalini was particularly pleased with the sale of the corporate packs this year as we received more orders for these gorgeous packs from the legal fraternity than before. Our gift packs and hampers are actually available all year round, couriered anywhere in New Zealand.  Just email or call Nalini with your requirements.  We can include our range of oils, dukkah and related products from Sabato or Bodum depending on your budget. 

As we write this newsletter an email order has arrived from an American tourist traveling through New Zealand.  A fantastic meal enjoyed at Matterhorn in Wellington has prompted a search for the excellent olive oil used in one of the dishes.  The number of you we meet through such experiences is growing and we look forward to the challenges you present us with to get products to you.  Working through the myriad of delivery options and requirements is an exciting challenge and we feel we get to know you more personally as we find solutions to your requests.  Don’t stop asking, we enjoy the Internet relationships immensely.  

We also love hearing about meals enjoyed at home or at restaurants using our products.   This year we would like to share more of those experiences and a Blog page is being researched.  Send us your favourite meal or recipe and we can look at including it in our monthly updates. Our business is based on working with our customers so keep telling us what you might look for at LOT EIGHT……… some things are possible even if you don’t initially think so.

Six days ago our region was hit by an unprecedented air tragedy when a hot air balloon accident resulted in the death of 11 New Zealanders. Ours is a small community and incidents are deeply felt. The hot air balloons are a real asset to this region and the New Year always signals the hot air balloon festival. This year the festival is still set to go but it will be a difficult one as we have lost one of our most experienced balloonists and the loss is being felt deeply.  Our thoughts are with the families of these 11 people and we join our nation in sending our condolence. We cannot help but feel that as a small island nation, we have had more than our fair share of losses and so our prayers are for a safe and loving times ahead. 

We wish you all the very best and thank you for reading our newsletters and for supporting LOT EIGHT. The wet, warm and humid weather conditions are not favoring our grape growing community and the well groomed grape vines in some areas have turned into feral gremlins. We are still to see the full effects of the snow fall of last winter and while the current weather conditions mean more mowing next week, the olive trees wont mind the rain. All in all, we believe that Martinborough as a region can once again produce a splendid wine and olive oil vintage and we will expect nothing but that. And so what if we have rain, high winds and humidity, there is Tintin in the movie theaters to see, so off we are to do just that. 

Bon Appetit.