It’s Colour Changing Season
Fiona Shiner, Founder
The relatively warm and sunny weather in August has been extremely welcome in the vineyard and has helped the vines catch up from a damp and cool July.
Veraison, when the grapes start to soften and change colour, is well underway on our early ripening varieties. Leaf stripping on both sides of the canopy has been completed and mowing and vine trimming is ongoing. In the lead up to harvest, it’s very important to allow sunlight and air flow around the bunches and vines to help minimise disease risk.
The vineyard team has started to apply nets to the varieties vulnerable to birds, badgers and other wildlife - something that’s best done before they get a taste for the fruit!
Early predictions indicate the yields from our Stonehouse site are looking good. Woodchester is a mixed 'bunch' with some earlier flowering varieties such as Chardonnay and Solaris carrying a moderate to good yield. Other varieties such as Ortega and Bacchus were caught by the cold spell in late June/early July and the extended flowering period has resulted in reduced yields with lower bunch and berry numbers and millerandage - bunches with mixed berry sizes, often referred to as Hens and Chicks – making the decision when to harvest more difficult.
The vines have had a tough season and mildew across the country has been a challenge. However, the fruit is looking clean and we are hoping for a lovely dry and sunny September to help ripen the grapes.
