Arriving to New Zealand
After ??? hours of traveling (seriously, I lost track,) I have finally made it to New Zealand! The Midwest was not ready to let me leave, and the snow got me off to a slow start. But, I am in no place to complain as the terrible travel was rewarded with a beautiful destination.
I arrived to Nelson, New Zealand, my home for the next three months, at 8 pm local time. With no time to waste, I was off to work the next morning to begin my job at Waimea Estates.
As with most new jobs, you never know what to expect on the first day, and this was no exception. Within minutes of meeting the team members at Waimea Estate, I got a pleasant surprise: I have been selected to work at their newly purchased, gravity flow winery. This facility, purchased only weeks ago, is a new venture for the business, and there are a lot of unknowns about the building's equipment and operations. I find this very exciting as I will be able to contribute my ideas and use problem solving skills that go beyond the harvest norm.
I will be part of a small team, four people total, that will be working on this "Gravity Project." We are anxiously preparing for the arrival of our first fruit, which we are expecting on Friday. Until then, we are running to get the equipment tested, supplies stocked, and most importantly- everything cleaned! This project will be full of unexpected surprises, so for now, we need to do everything we can to prepare.
In addition to the excitement over the challenges of a new winery project, is the specific type of project mentioned above- Gravity Flow. As the name implies, gravity is used to move wine from tank to tank by having multiple levels. The crushpad is at the highest point of the terrace with three levels of tanks below, and a bottling machine on the bottom floor. Gravity flow eliminates the use of pumps, creating a gentler process and a more delicate wine. Watch for an upcoming post on the layout and process that is involved with our gravity flow project!