Grape expectations

Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.

Grape expectations

If your $45 drop measures up against the likes of famous French Lafite and Mouton Rothschild reds costing up to $2,500, chances are you’ve got your oenology right.

But you’d never think that kind of accolade would come from a dry, stony bit of Hawke’s Bay that was once a dragstrip and a quarry. So what’s the secret of the winemakers of Gimblett Gravels? Anya Kussler visited Gimblett Gravels to find out; read her story on our website for some claretification.

It’s personal and it’s science

Professor Nikola Kasabov considers individual genetic make-ups, adds social and environmental factors, and believes that there will soon be customised treatments for people accordingly. All on Idealog TV.

Nice ice

The Icehouse Business Growth Centre is opening its doors to all tyre-kickers and wannabe billionaires on an Open Day on July 29. Vincent Heeringa asks start up director Ken Erskine what it takes to become the next Sammy Morgan.

Moon swoon

Three Drunk Monkeys’ take on the momentous slingshot thing 40 years ago. We are really very awesome indeed.

G-eDay

It’s tempting to put that once-shiny laptop you bought last year—now superseded by the current must-have model, of course—out with the inorganic rubbish collection, because what else would you do with it? You can’t give away old computers.

That, however, is a waste, literally, as it would end up in a landfill somewhere in Godzone with the precious metals left inside and some rather poisonous stuff eventually leaking out.

For that reason, it’s good to see CANZ having a go for the last three years to recycle the digital wonders of yesteryear. The 2009 collection takes place in September and the stuff will head to South Korea for recycling.

This really should be a permanent event in the form of depots in the major towns and local recycling too, and council noise abatement departments confiscating stereos and other electronic gear should make use of it as well. Perhaps Judith Collins should consider something similar for our boy racers too—or at least their vehicles? Mark September 12—or eDay—in your eCalendar.

Get eco-certified

While we’re on the subject of green initiatives, the government this week launched the Envirostep eco-verification programme. Again, Envirostep is a welcome initative; it gives businesses and organisations an environmental score and profile after concluding a self-assessment questionnaire. There are also recommendations with an action plan, and lots of links to various environmental resources.

One thing that seems to be missing is a badge, like the Energy Star logo, for enterprises completing the certification. Would that not have been useful to have?

Go down, people of the mud!

The feature-length version of Maurice Gee’s Under the Mountain—directed by Black Sheep’s Jonathan King—looks promising.

Thwap those thongs

Yes, we’re referring to the 11th Radio Active 89FM Handle The Jandal DIY Music Video Awards, which is now open for entries.

Film and video makers nationwide, this is indeed a call to cams. Last year, the prize package was worth a total of forty grand. This year, we don’t know how much yet, but it should be a pretty penny. Anyone can enter too, so don’t be shy.

A panel of judges will decide Best Editing, Best Use of Exploitative Tactics to Promote a Band (genius!), Best Cinematography, Best Concept, Best Animation and Rising Star. An audience vote at the awards will decide the seventh golden flip-flop category: the Favourite Handle the Jandal Video award winner. We haven’t been told whether using toddlers drinking milk at a nightclub will again earn brownie points this year.

Entries close 5pm on Monday, September 21 and the grand evening is set for Wellington’s Embassy Theatre on October 29. More information can be had from Radio Active 89FM or by calling 04 801 9899.

Job of the Week

Senior Web Developer (P0514)

Digital Arm of Advertising Agency • Wide Variety of Clients • Superb Role

Our client is part of an international agency network and has a vast array of clients.

They are looking for a Senior Web Developer who has solid .net capability. You will be high experienced working with ASP.NET applications and integration to backend.

You will be thorough and responsible, giving technical advice and leadership to the junior team members, along with having the ability to manage your workload.

In this role you will be responsible for the testing and installation of applications. Experience will be required in the following:

SQL • Social Media Applications • C# • ASP / ASP.NET • MSSQL / MySQL • HTML • CSS • XML • Javascript

For this role you will have experience in a similar senior role, 5+ years experience and be looking to work in a creative agency environment.

If you would like to join this highly talented interactive team, then do contact Louise Lawton at Portfolio Recruitment on 09 379-9303, or apply on our website.

Classic contemporary

John Leech Gallery has put together an eclectic variation of artworks that range from international furniture and historical drawings to modern day paintings. It previews on Tuesday July 21 and goes on until August 14, with works from Gow Langsford Gallery, Design 55 and, of course, John Leech Gallery itself.

Diversity of taste through the medium of art awaits you at corner Kitchener and Wellesley Streets in Auckland. Visit the website for further details.

Singeing swingeing fringe

Did you miss Ruby Tuesday when it was on at the Auckland Fringe 2009? You know, the bittersweet comedy in which the lives of an eclectic handful of characters intersect over the course of a typical school day? Or the Before The Break dance performance? What about the twisted hip-hop musical Lightbulbman?

Fear not, because between Tuesday July 21 and Saturday July 25 the Bite Size Fringe is on at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre. STAMP at The Edge has managed to get three of the favourite Auckland Fringe 2009 shows together, for a three-in-one evening performance next week. Tickets cost $15 to $25 and are available online.

Quote of the week

“Chris Pask bought 40 hectares at the end of Gimblett Road after spotting it from his plane. His mates thought he was mad—and they weren’t alone. Banks refused to lend money for purchasing ‘wasteland’, and the local council fretted at the loss of quarry land. But there were clues that he was on to something”

—Anya Kussler on the origin of Hawke’s Bay’s Bordeaux-busting wines

More at Idealog online

Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, creative directory, Idealog TV, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.

  Juha Saarinen
  Ideologue, Weekly