November Family Updates

Niekie at her cousines 3rd Bday at McDonalds, nearly 12 and it starts to show, a few more years/ months and bye bye control, still a sweety though!

Janneke at the same party, throwing the sweet madonna look, does anybody knows a monastry I can lock her up until she is 18?

Still a bit of business, Arjen shaking hands with David 'Duck' Anderson, wine maker and owner of Wild Duck Creeck Estate! An old family friend and he granted me the import & distribution right for his wines in Singapore. A real honour as he was one of the first Aussies scoring 100/100 with Robert Parker Jr with the Duck Muck, Papa is happily proud and David shows where he wants his logo!

Janneke is building her new friend, amazing! we used to find one, :-)!

The family shot, yes it's getting older, older, older,,,

Well a princess deserves the best, at least once a year, Hilton high tea it is!

The Birthday Priness in her favorite colour, 'Pretty in pink'? or what?

The Delivery Van transferred in a Wine Van!!

Some Pictures during a Sunday Outing

Sunday lunch at the Hardrock Cafe @ Resortworld Sentosa, one of the 2 resorts

with a Casino, Vegas in Singapore!
Did I say it was a Sunday Lunch?? still recovering from that Saturday Night

Two of the 3 ladies in my life posing, also at the Resort World Sentosa

Lunch in a Ski hut? Only possible in Swiss Restaurant Marche,

enjoying those European Specialities!

Roof Pool at Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino

Great View but service standard is not at this level yet!

Random Family Pics 2010

Niekie's 11th Birthday
Janneke and Niekie enjoying their sushi.

At the gate of the Universal Studio Singapore only as it was all sold out!

Ivy & Janneke posing

Papa & Janneke at the lobby of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, 2000+ rooms, Massive!

Wine trip to Western Australia - AUG 2010

The mean reason for coming all the way down to Margaret River, about 4 hours drive south of Perth. Wine Directions is an importer & distributor of fermoy Estate in Singapore.

The entrance with the main buildings, the buildings on the left are the 'cellars' used for storage, the little yellow building is the cellardoor and behind there the winery. most of the vineyards are around this complex

Cabernet Sauvignon planting behind the winery, these vines are over 25 years old, pretty old for a 'new' wine region as Margaret River. you can tell it is winter as there are no leaves on the vines.

During the walk in the winery, we did tast some barrel samples, this was barrel fermented Semillon, their specility.

Liz Dawson, the wine maker at Fermoy Estate

temperature controlled barrel storage, at this stage the wine is maturing

The winery from a different angle, with the fermentation tanks at the right

Some old Merlot vines!

other vineyards at the Fermoy Estate, beautiful skies with plenty of winter rain

Next stop, Forrest Hill Vineyard in Denmark, WA. located amongst beautiful rolling hills and close to the ocean, very serious wines!

Another shot at the Forrest Hill Winery, behind the hills in the back is the ocean.

I was invited to attend the final blending before bottling at a small organic winery near Mt. Barker in WA. This was great experience as it is a rare occassion that outsiders are invited.

Liz, the trade representative who took me around the region but is winemaker by trade. See the chalk remarks on the table for the different percentage of the blends. It turned out that the final result was a 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot.

Tasting some bottled wine from another winery in the Albany region.

While in Albany decided to go whale watching, a longlife wish! This was a bonus on top of a great wine trip! The whale on the picture is a Southern Right Whale calf, coming to the catamaran out curiosity, you just the head and 'shoulders' on this picture.

The same whale but this time spouting from the blow hole before diving under again.

Random Wine Directions Activities

launching a new wine at the AustCham Wine & Cheese Event 2008

The Wine Guerilla's at work, selecting wines for the WD portfolio

Arjen doing a Wine training at the Australian Westpac Bank in Singapore

A quick shot with the Japanese Ambassador in Singapore after a wine tasting at his residence

Another Wine & Cheese Event this time March 2010

Batam Trip June 2010

Welcome

This Blog is created to keep everybody that is interested in the Singapore branch of the Blom Family updated on what is happening. it will be updated on a unregular basis some do back to check whats new!

regards,

Arjen, Ivy, Niekie & Janneke