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 Huw and Dale Morris are partners in a winemaking venture called WILD HOGGE. Huw lived in Bermuda for almost 27 years and worked as an anaesthetist at the King Edward VIIth Memorial Hospital. For the last 25 years on the Island, he was president of the Bermuda Wine Circle, a wine tasting group that started off with about 35 members and grew to over 200 members meeting once a month to taste wines from around the world. WILD HOGGE came into being in 2005 when the Morris family moved from Bermuda to the east side of Paso Robles on the Central Coast of California. They live in an area surrounded by vineyards and decided to make wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes seen from their house. The label is based on a watercolor by the American artist Winslow Homer who visited the island of Bermuda on several occasions at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. The painting used on the WILD HOGGE label is called ‘Bermuda Settlers 1901’. It depicts the wild hogs that originally inhabited the island. Bermuda lies in the Atlantic Ocean about 650 miles east of North Carolina and is surrounded by coral reefs. In the 1500s, some of the sailing ships traversing the Atlantic got too close to the island and became shipwrecked on the reefs. The hogs they had on board as a source of fresh meat were able to swim ashore and became the first ‘residents’ of Bermuda. The Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez first sighted the island around 1505 but considered it too insignificant to explore. Subsequent mariners who sailed by were frightened away by the footprints of the cloven hoof made by the hogs, and Bermuda was for some time called ‘the Isle of Devils’. The English Admiral, Sir George Somers, on his way to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609, was shipwrecked on the island during a hurricane and the survivors became the first colonists of Bermuda. The news of Sir George Somers and his adventures reached London and in 1610 Shakespeare wrote his play ‘The Tempest’, based on the island of Bermuda. Today, the one-cent coin of Bermuda depicts the head of Queen Elizabeth II on one side and the wild hog on the other. It is known on the island as a ‘Hogpenny’ and a version of it is portrayed on the top of the capsule of WILD HOGGE wine.
WILD HOGGE CABERNET SAUVIGNON The 2007 WILD HOGGE CABERNET SAUVIGNON vintage was bottled in March 2010 and released in the late summer. It has not yet been entered into any competitions but we feel it will mirror the previous releases. This 2007 brings the earthy quality of the 2005 with the fruit forward of the 2006 to create a well-balanced wine with soft tannins and a hint of French Oak. A total of 182 cases were produced. WILD HOGGE TREE FROG This unique blend of WILD HOGGE’S 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Syrah, our 2007 WILD HOGGE TREE FROG, combines the best of Central Coast’s favorite varietals. The Syrah grapes come from an old vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles. Our Syrah was kept in barrels for two years, 30% new French oak, before being blended with our 2007 Cabernet. The Syrah (55%) contributes the typical spice box nose and rounds off the tannins of the awarding winning Cabernet. Produced only for Bermuda, 203 cases were bottled. WILD HOGGE PINOT NOIR This 2008 WILD HOGGE PINOT NOIR comes with a characteristic Burgundian nose, but with the richness typical of many California wines in this category. The aftertaste lingers with berries and black cherries that compliment many foods without overpowering them. Just 71 cases were produced and then released in Bermuda the fall of 2010. WILD HOGGE SYRAH The 2006 WILD HOGGE SYRAH came from the Sonoma area and was released the summer of 2010 after being bottled in March 2009. With the additional aging in the bottle, this Syrah developed a big nose of fruit, earth, and spice. The rich color, complexity and depth grow on your palate as it enhances every bite of food. A total of 81 cases were produced. WILD HOGGE CHARDONNAY The 2009 WILD HOGGE CHARDONNAY comes from a small vineyard closer to the coast on the west side of Paso Robles. The juice was fermented in stainless steel initially but spent the last six months in French oak barrels, a fourth new oak. The final product is marked by a smokey oak balanced with a floral softness bearing a hint of flinty vanilla and lavender. This Chardonnay ends long with a touch of marshmallow and apple. We expect this Chardonnay will continue to mature in the bottle over the next year but drinks well now. Just 98 cases were bottled.
For the other varietals, Huw and Dale sought top quality grapes in California's wine country that would meet the discerning palates of the Bermudian market. At times, this meant blending varietals to create a new and powerful wine. Quality has been the driving force behind the wines created. We have our 2009 Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon maturing in oak barrels, as is our 2010 Pinot Noir, Primitivo and Cabernet Franc, all from the Paso Robles appellation. 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon to be released January 2012.
Huw and Dale Morris also have another label for the USA market called JADE MOON. The wine used for JADE MOON is the same as WILD HOGGE. Visit www.jademoonwine.com for wine purchases in the United States.
2006 JADE MOON Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 WILD HOGGE Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 WILD HOGGE Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 WILD HOGGE Tree Frog 2008 WILD HOGGE Pinot Noir (These results are from the only competitions entered to date.)
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