Wednesday 26 December 2018

December 2018, is nature regenerating?

We had just 360mm of rain this year until end Oct, then heaven sent 196mm in Nov/Dec. Our damaged pastures are slow to recover but the grapes are doing well and loving the hot weather. It looks as though 2019 harvest will be a bumper!
Since our last post, we have sponsored a sustainable farming conference held by Greening Bathurst,
and we have started bottling our 2018 vintages of Chardonnay, Rose and Pinot Noir. These wines are all robust full fruit wines, unusual for cool climate grape varieties.
The hot humid weather, but with cooler nights up here at 1000metres, means we have carried out some mildew protection with sulphur and copper sprays.






Friday 24 August 2018

AUGUST 2018
just finished pruning and mulching the vines. Rain is still reluctant to come and the country will be slow to come back to life. I did hear frogs in the creek and birds are slowly starting to visit. Roll on Spring...


Sunday 5 August 2018

August 2018
In spite of 15mm of rain over the last two days we still suffer a green drought with hardly any grass and needing to give the grapes a little water from time to time.
We have nearly finished the winter prune, mulching the prunings and putting some lime and dynamic lifter fertiliser on the rows.
Its been a somber winter with little bird life , insects or spiders to show that the country is not completely dormant, holding it's breath...
We had a great june and july on the sales and publicity front



starting with the Bathurst Winter Winery Wander in June and followed by two Saturdays of the Bathurst Winter Festival with hundreds of cheerful visitors.
Our 2018 vintage is coming along well and our Chardonnay and Pinot are already Quite palatable!

Tuesday 8 May 2018


MAY 2018
Still waiting for rain here. Sold 90 cattle to de-stock the pastures and preparing do do some direct drilling and seeding to remediate the farm. Even the eastern grey kangaroos have to go elsewhere for food now...
However the harvest although smaller than normal seems to be producing wines with concentrated flavour and colour, maturing in our oak barrels in the winery as we watch the vines drop their leaves in the vineyard below the winery.
We are looking forward to the Bathurst Winter Winery wander on 17th May 2018 where we are at BoxGrove reception centre with Al Dente catering and expecting 200 visitors over the day.
Look out for us at the Bathurst winter festival from 7th to 14th July when we shall be serving our famous Gluhwein made form 2010 Pinot Noirand our secret spice recipe.

Saturday 17 February 2018

FEB18TH 2018

We put the nets on yesterday. Its been a very dry summer after a late budburst, but our biodynamic soil has retained moisture and there is no mildew this year. Thanks to Kith and Tim and Doug and Helen for getting it all done in one day. Here's hoping for a good vintage!
Luckily we can swim in the dam after the days work.