A few years ago I had an email from Jared Gulian, complimenting me on my blog and letting me know that he had started a local blog too. It was called Moon Over Martinborough. I read; I enjoyed and I added it to the blog links on these pages.

It was great. Two Chicagoans, on a whim, had bought a Martinborough olive grove and hadn’t the faintest idea how to look after it. Jared’s witty stories about how he and his partner CJ learned about olives, neighbours, the dreaded Rimutaka Hill road, pigs, sheep, hens and life in Martinborough have been enjoyable and amusing reading ever since. Jared is not afraid to bare his soul and his ineptitude and this makes his blog particularly endearing.

Moon Over Martinborough has gained a big following, won awards and now its posts are even being carried in the local rag, the Martinborough Star. The final accolade was having the blogs collected into book form by Random House. It was launched recently in the Martinborough Wine Centre. Liz and I went along and happily bought a copy, even though we’d already read every one of the blogs online.

Jared Gulian signing his Moon Over Martinborough book at a launch function earlier this month at the Wine Centre. His partner CJ is on his right.

Recommended.