Red Wines

The red wine grapes are currently at 12 baume, just want to get them that bit riper and up to 13.5 before picking. Mark thinks the grapes will be picked the week before Easter, but as always this is fairly dependent on the weather.

If we keep getting nice warm sunny days and the rain holds off all should be well.

Maturity Testing

Here are some pictures of the red grape maturity testing, we want to ensure the grapes get nice and juicy.

Chardonnay Grapes

The Picking Frenzy Begins

We've just had 3 days of brilliant sunshine and perfect weather at long last, if the Gods are watching over us this should continue for the next couple of weeks. The vineyard team are getting prepared to pick all the rest of the Chardonnay in the vineyard tonight at 7pm. The plan is to continue picking every night for the rest of the week to get all the remaining fruit in to the winery.

The red grapes are currently are 12 baume so are ripening albeit slowly and are currently looking good. More pictures to come soon.

Pick of the Day

The vineyard team have been up early (1am start anyone?) and getting on with the picking before anymore rain hits Orange. Chardonnay and Riesling blocks are now safely in the winery, but with more still to get picked.

Weatherwise this week has been tempremental to say the least - hot sunny days filled with storms and heavy rain in the afternoon or evening - not what the grapes are wanting right now!

Mark and his team have been maturity testing the Bellview chardonnay & gewurz grapes today with the aim to get all the fruit off as soon as possible before more heavy rain forecast for next week.

Today's Picking

The grapes for our Union Bank Semillion were picked today and are headed off to the winery for processesing this afternoon. Nice and sunny today but we have been getting heavy showers every afternoon so will see what happens...

The plan is for the Riesling to be picked later this week dependent on conditions.

Bring on the Sunshine

Some more days like this would be perfect right now! Lots of sunshine to get the grapes juicy and ripe.