Matt at the Liquid Valley outlet in Langkawi recently
By V. Sivaji
At the Dog Point Vineyards in Marlborough, New Zealand, the harvesting of grapes is done by hand.
This is to maintain the quality and consistency of the grape juices in the final product of fine wines.
Matt Sutherland, the owner and general manager of Dog Point Vineyards was in Langkawi recently to host a selected group of guests to savour the unique taste of their wine range.
Being on his first visit to Malaysia and Langkawi, Matt was taken aback with the friendly people and weather here.
“I quite like the warm weather here and the people are friendly and easy to mingle,” exclaimed Matt when met by Penang Hyperlocal at the Liquid Valley in Pantai Cenang recently.
He was quick to explain that the name “Dog Point Vineyard” was because of the many wild dogs which used to gather in the area way back in the 1800s.
“The name Dog Point dates back to the earliest European settlement of Marlborough and the introduction of sheep to the district. These were the days where, due to a lack of fences, boundary riders used boundary keeping dogs to protect the local flocks of sheep.
“Shepherd’s dogs sometimes became lost or wandered off, eventually breeding to form a marauding pack that attacked the same flocks they were meant to be protecting. Over time the settlers were able to remove these wild dogs and the area was named Dog Point. There is now a friendly “pack of dogs” that greet guests at the vineyard”, explained Matt.
Matt at The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi wine dinner
His travels this time around will also take him to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bali for a short break and also to Canada.
“Our vineyard is about 600 acres and also has basic accommodation facilities for friends and business partners who often visit us. The view and natural surroundings are great and the weather is cool.
“There are also some 3,000 sheep on the farm which help us to maintain the natural greenery and also fertilise the grounds. Thus all of our farming practices are organic”, he added.
Matt also added that about 30% of the wine is reserved for making wine and the rest is sold to 12 wine makers there.
“Although being a family run business, we export to about 55 countries around the globe, however I must add that we are no frills win maker. What you see is what you get”, he added.
“Our Sauvignon Blanc vines are 25 years old, however the oldest are well over 30 years of age. Section 94, our single vineyard, barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc vines are 30 years old, and the average vine age for our Chardonnay is 30 years old, with the oldest vines being 40 years old. Our Pinot Noir vines date back to the early 1980s, making some of them approximately 40 years old”, he shared.
Founded in 2002, Dog Point Vineyard has been recognized as among the very top wine producers in New Zealand.
Their two very different Sauvignon Blancs, their Pinot Noir and their Chardonnay are all wines of astounding quality and complexity.
Their wines are hand-crafted from estate fruit grown on some of the oldest vines and best sites in Marlborough, some plantings dating back to the 1970s.
Later that evening, Matt greeted guests at the wine dinner gathering held at the Hai Yan Restaurant of The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi.
In the course of the dinner put out by the F&B team of The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, he also helped explain the intricacies of the different wine range from their winery.
The gathering was hosted by S. H Maju Sdn Bhd.
