While traveling through Europe and America with a band of musicians, artists and craftsmen my passion for sense memory and sense elation grew.   While docked in Philadelphia I discovered New Zealand wines.  I literally smelled the potential for adventure and pure discovery in the glass.  
In 2007 I left Philadelphia to make wine in New Zealand. I have taken the spirit of my Great Grandfather, Miguel Rodolico and his entire lineage, with me. A barrel cooper and winemaker himself, he traveled from Sicily to America in search of inspiration.   He is with me on this journey.

Testify' is a wine that is only produced in the best of vintages. Winemaker Daniel Brennan’s hand on heart proclamation that its his best effort within the varietal.

Testify Martinborough Pinot Noir 2019

After a relatively warm summer, there was a bit of rain ahead of and during harvest. However, the dry farmed site remained relatively unaffected by the rain as the temperatures also remained warm throughout picking. Picking was done by clone across the vineyard and over the course of 3 weeks. All the fruit was hand sorted and a variety of vinifcation vats were filled, ranging from 5 to 40% whole bunch ferments where they cold soaked for a few days before naturally warming. Some ferments went ‘wild’ with indigenous yeasts and some were inoculated with some organic yeast strains. After fermentation the wine was macerated on skins for an additional 10 to 21 days. They were then pressed in a small basket press, settled in tank and then put to French barriques, again separated by clone. The Testify Pinot Noir was a barrel selection resulting in 25% new oak. Clones 777 and 667 were the focus of this wine, creating a more aromatic and elegant style. Some Clone 5 was used to add more mid palate weight.

Testify Te Awanga Chardonnay 2019

Hand picked in mid-March and transported in small bins to the winery where the fruit was whole bunch pressed straight into a small tank and settled over night. Then the juice was put into a range of new, 1yr and old barriques and puncheons. Certain barrels were inoculated with an organic yeast strain and a Burgundian yeast strain while some of the wine went through an indigenous fermentation. The wine was fermented on moderately heavy solids and frequently stirred through primary and a full malolactic fermentation as well as once a week stirring through the Winter and Spring.

Testify Gimblett Gravels Malbec 2019

This certified organic site can ripen quite late compared to other site on the Gimblett Gravels, resulting in dense, darker fruit. Hand-picked in late April and transported in whole bunches from the vineyard to the close-by winery in small baskets. The fruit was then destemmed and only lightly crushed to allow the skins to slowly breakdown during the fermentation. Some of the fermenters were a co-ferment of Malbec/Merlot. The fruit was then cold macerated for 5 days on skins before slowly warming each of the small fermenters and allowing a wild fermentation to kick in. Fermentation lasted 17 days before the wine was then macerated on skinsagain for an additional 19 days. The wine was then pressed to tank before it was put to a French oak barriques, 20% of which were new barrels. The wine was racked and blended after 24 months in oak and remained it tank for an additional 4 months before bottling.