THE TOP KNOT "PUTIKI" - RESPECT TO LEADERS PAST
In honour of the past and part of FHE's cultural recognition for this spiritual place, we gift wrap wines for you representing a top knot or traditional "Putiki". FHE is situated adjacent to Waiheke's main Pa site called "Putiki O Kahu". Kahu who established the Pa site circa 1350, was Waiheke's great founding Rangatira and wore his hair in a distinctive "top knot" or "Putiki".
Our bottles when gift wrapped are finished with a "top knot" on the head of the bottle in respect to Rangatira Kahu and this special place we represent.
We believe your gift will be blessed and full of good fortune for your gift recipients.
Make sure you add Gift wrapping into your wine purchase.
WAX BY HAND TECHNIQUE
The wax seal stems from both tradition and necessity. Before corks were used, wax was one means of sealing wine bottles for storage and shipment. Even after corks became the standard, they were often unreliable. Wine would leak out and oxygen would sneak in, harming the wine, so wax was used to create a stronger, more airtight seal, particularly for bottles meant for longer aging.
Sealing wax allows a wine to hold for decades without the need to re-cork the wine. Wax seals also provide an additional guarantee of the wine's authenticity, as it would be difficult to falsify the contents of the bottle by opening and resealing it.
All of our premium vintage reserve bottles are waxed by hand, following traditional French bottling techniques.
THE VINEYARDS
Frenchmans Hill Estate is ideally situated on the steep northern slopes at the base of the Te Whau Peninsula on iconic Waiheke Island.
