Day 20 10th March

Whether the weather be wet
Or whether the weather be hot
We’ll whether the weather whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not.

Discuss:

Picking grapes using non AI humans requires a bit of planning and notification.

The 25 people you will be employing also need to organise their lives to accommodate you and your preferred picking time..(or is that now a window?) And ideally it will be a fine day that is not too hot. Mind you, the grapes aren’t very helpful in this regard. They ripen, coming ready or not. So this weeks picking days had to be booked last weekend. We settled on tomorrow, (Wednesday) and Thursday. Initially the forecast was for a wet day on Thursday but we had no other option given all the balls we have to juggle at vintage.

I am pleased to report that the forecast is now dry..so, if we can believe in forecasts, we should whether the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.

If you’ve been to the cellar door, thank you. If not, why not? We’ve been waiting for you for 43 years and we miss you.

Where was I..? Oh yes, if you’ve been to the cellar door, you’ll notice fabulous pieces by many respected artists. Ros Auld who is a wonderful ceramicist and human being will be holding an exhibition at Art Atrium, 12 Daniel Street Botany from the 11th of March (ie tomorrow) to the 26th March. Do yourself a favour and check it out.

We commissioned this piece from Ros in 2013. It’s called “Water into wine” and speaks of the preciousness of water in this industry. It is the heart of our cellar door and we love it.

Following yesterday’s report on the burning blouse incident we had some less than complimentary sartorial communication from a person who shall remain nameless.

He questioned the story asserting that I never wear new clothes. Well, Glen Mickle, here’s a pictorial comment on your observation completely free of charge. “Buy less. Choose well. Make it last” indeed.

This afternoon we are lifting the nets off the Cabernet Franc in preparation for tomorrow’s harvest.

Because nets are nets and quite like catching all manner of things, one of the tedious jobs is to stick pick them and lift them up on to the vines before we collect them in wool packs ready for next vintage. Every imaginable piece of slashed vine cane and tree branches has to be removed by hand and this task puts tedium to sleep.

Cheers,

Stephen and Rhonda