As this season of unusual weather patterns rolls toward the picking of vintage 2024, we are busy covering our vineyard blocks with protective bird netting. Quite simply – no bird net means no grapes!! Our early varieties – mainly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, are well into veraison – that time when the berries soften and the red grapes start to show some pink colour which progresses on to the black skins of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. The birds certainly notice this change – hence the urgency to get bird nets over the vines!

With some mixed weather earlier this season - especially when some varieties were flowering, there are some vineyard blocks with a range of grape berry sizes, whereas other blocks are looking very even. However the vines have very powerful canopies i.e. leaves, so they certainly have the endurance to produce some great flavours and take the crop through to full ripeness.

Looking forward to vintage 2024!

Cheers, Fred (written mid February 2024)