Summer

Summer is a relatively quiet season for our vineyard team, although attention must be paid to the vines’ leaf canopy. New canes are lifted and held in place with high trellis wires, and any left hanging are trimmed. This allows the crop to be exposed to the sun and air, which enhance ripening and minimise disease.

A permanent sward is maintained between the vine rows that must be grazed or mown. Australian native grasses are proving successful, and include wallaby grass (Danthonia setacea), windmill grass (Chloris truncata) and kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra).

Soil moisture is monitored with neutron probes, and drip irrigation applied if necessary. On average, 50mm is applied each summer, to guarantee good vine health and fruit quality.

As the crop ripens, the berries become attractive to predatory birds. Crows are the most rapacious, but their visits are discouraged by the detonation of gas-powered scare-guns. Starlings are not a problem, due to our sustainable viticultural practices. The exclusion of chemical insecticides encourages the proliferation of myriad beneficial insects, which hungry starlings prefer to grapes.