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I have always been interested in wine but when Jude and I came back to live in Hawke’s Bay six years ago we were amazed at how the local wine scene had become such a big thing. It was wonderful - full of the sort of people we love. Creative, dedicated, down to earth producers. It’s fair to say we were captivated. And we wanted to be part of it. Over the last few years wine has introduced us to a lot of great friends and, as you’d expect, the decision to launch FRIZZELL wines was sealed over a few glasses of red with some of them.

This isn’t a half-arsed project. It’s my name on the label after all. We’ve put a heck of a lot of effort into this and I have a team of guys in the background making sure I get things right.

First and foremost it was very important to me that FRIZZELL wines were really generous and rewarding. I wanted a full bodied Hawkes Bay Chardonnay. I wanted a soft, fleshy Hawkes Bay red. And though I’m not really a Sauvignon man, I knew we had to have a quality Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in the mix as well.

I also knew I wanted to make small batches. This meant I could develop different labels and release limited edition wines. It’s the way I’ve always done things. And I like working like that. Right from the first tastings with Rod McDonald (my consultant winemaker and a local legend!) I knew we were on the right track. In fact I couldn’t be happier.

I think these first FRIZZELL wines are really bloody good - I hope you agree and enjoy them as much as I have already.

Dick Frizzell, Jan 2009.