From Vine to Basket: a New Vintage

For a winery, the second half of August is a satisfying time of year.  It’s a time to pause, to enjoy late summer weather while limbering up for the rigors of the harvest around the corner.  It’s a time to take stock of the fruit hanging in still-quiet vineyards, anticipating what the fruit will bring.

Picking could commence in a few days, and will certainly be underway next week.  We’re now measuring samples of grapes intended for sparkling wines.  These, chardonnay from the Moira vineyard and pinot noir from the block that overlooks our winery patio, will be first off the vine.

For the most part, this year’s elements have been helpful.  Winter passed leaving no vineyard damage behind.  Heat was high and precipitation low but, as Team Principal Shiraz points out, reflecting on close to thirty harvests here, we’ve had plenty of experience with this kind of season.  Our newest plantings needed frequent watering to stay alive.  Elsewhere, vines under a hot, dry summer produced smaller, more concentrated berries. Nevertheless, average crop yields were achieved.

As to what to expect in the bottle, fruit characteristics at this early stage are not unlike last year’s, or the harvest of 2016.  That said, a new vintage always brings surprises.