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Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Vintage 2014 Update
Weather has continued to be favourable for a good vintage.
Plenty of sunshine and warm weather indispersed with the occasional wet day in December but a bit of a soil moisture top up doesn't go astray.
No sign of fungus to date.
The Tempranillo has started to change colour ie. veraison.
No sign of the ripening phase yet in the Pinot Noir.
The berries on the Semillon are still green and hard and of course the Cabernet has still a long way to go.We shall be putting on a protective spray of copper and sulphur very early in the new year.
Plenty of sunshine and warm weather indispersed with the occasional wet day in December but a bit of a soil moisture top up doesn't go astray.
No sign of fungus to date.
The Tempranillo has started to change colour ie. veraison.
No sign of the ripening phase yet in the Pinot Noir.
The berries on the Semillon are still green and hard and of course the Cabernet has still a long way to go.We shall be putting on a protective spray of copper and sulphur very early in the new year.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Vintage 2014 So Far
It's been a mix of weather so far this season. We have had cold and wet days as well as hot and humid.
It was a bit of a strange spring.
We have also had plenty of rain. On Thursday last, big thunderstorms rolled through with short torrential downpours and full on lightning and thunder shows. At one stage big hailstones (golf ball size) started to fall ( a grape grower's nightmare) but they only lasted for about 10 seconds before changing to rice size and then rain.
A relief!
No noticeable damage.
We have managed to keep the spray program on schedule so no evidence of any fungal diseases.
We have noticed the odd grapevine moth caterpillar chomping away but pick them off and squash them rather than apply an insecticide, even Dipel. We have such a large population of 'good guy' insect predators in the vineyard after years on non spraying it would be a pity to upset that balance.
Shoot growth has been good and crop yield appears satisfactory.
It was a bit of a strange spring.
We have also had plenty of rain. On Thursday last, big thunderstorms rolled through with short torrential downpours and full on lightning and thunder shows. At one stage big hailstones (golf ball size) started to fall ( a grape grower's nightmare) but they only lasted for about 10 seconds before changing to rice size and then rain.
A relief!
No noticeable damage.
We have managed to keep the spray program on schedule so no evidence of any fungal diseases.
We have noticed the odd grapevine moth caterpillar chomping away but pick them off and squash them rather than apply an insecticide, even Dipel. We have such a large population of 'good guy' insect predators in the vineyard after years on non spraying it would be a pity to upset that balance.
Shoot growth has been good and crop yield appears satisfactory.
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| Cabernet Sauvignon |
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| Pinot Noir |
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| Semillon |
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| Tempranillo |
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