Just received this fabulous review from Glen Comrie of the Napier Social Wine Club. Thanks so much Glen.
A spread from the book introducing the section on Summer
I have been to Moana Park Winery many times, but I have never seen it quite like this.
From Bud To Bottle captures a year in the life of this small but over-achieving Hawkes Bay winery, thanks to the skill and dedication of photographer John Miles. John has taken his camera and curiosity beyond the cellar door to explore those parts of the winery that most of us never see. Pruning vines under grey skies. Fiery and frantic efforts to keep frost away on a cold Spring night. The nervous excitement of harvest. The messy business of transferring juice into tanks. The organised chaos of bottling. All the stuff you and I don’t think about as we crack open a bottle of chardonnay on a perfect summer’s day.
It’s not all hard work. John has also photographed the fun side that visitors to Moana Park know so well. The wonderfully informal tastings at the cellar door, the irrepressible enthusiasm of Dan Barker and his team, and the laid-back, music-filled public events in the winery grounds. Tying the hard work and sheer pleasure together is colour. Lots of colour. From the mouth-watering sight of plump red grapes being loaded into big blue tubs, to those famous pale-brown Hawkes Bay hills in the background, From Bud To Bottle is a feast for the eyes that will have you craving a glass of your favourite drop within seconds.
What I like most about From Bud To Bottle is it doesn’t over-explain things. A great photograph doesn’t need words, and John lets each shot tell its own story as the year progresses. When you have a setting as beautiful as Moana Park, and plenty of characters to boot, saying too much would be like gilding the lily. To his eternal credit, John lets his magnificent photos do the talking.
Would I recommend this book to fans of Moana Park? Absolutely. Would I recommend it to wine lovers everywhere? Without question. From Bud To Bottle is not just a spectacular chronicle of a great little Hawkes Bay winery, but it is also a colourful reminder that we should savour every wine we taste, no matter who makes it. After all, a lot of people put a heck of a lot of work into each and every drop. Thank you for the reminder John – and long live Moana Park!
Glen Comrie – Napier Social Wine Club, Napier, Hawke’s Bay