It's a busy time in the vineyards with little time off over the holidays for the vineyard crew as the vines and berries continue to rapidly develop. Depending on the blocks, some of the vine canopies will need to be trimmed to ensure the energy is going into the fruit and not into excessive vegetative growth. It is also important at this stage that the younger and weaker vines have their crop load reduced to also ensure they build sufficient healthy shoots and leaves for better vine balance and optimal fruit quality. This will also help build better reserves for the following year. The days are long and very warm, sometimes touching mid-thirties. But interestingly, our unique climate can occasionally surprise us with crisp cool mornings and sometime southerly blasts with snow on the mountains. We keep a close eye on the moisture content of the soils; this is a good time to tempt the roots to go deeper. We are enjoying the finest local produce; apricots, cherries, nectarines and peaches abound. We have also started harvesting from our own vegetable beds which will keep us in good supply over the next few months.
We are looking forward to the 2019 Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration at the end of the month. Three days of fine food and fantastic wines, shared with our wine friends from all over the world - it's a great way to start the year!
