Nigel's Harvest Blog 2023

Tuesday March 21st

For a few days now, the smart money has been on today for the start of harvest. It has been very cool and surprisingly moist over the last two weeks or so, in fact it has snowed on the hills three times in that period. Rain was forecast for this morning but it fell through the night and the dawn broke to grumbling cloud and a cold Southerly wind. By lunchtime everything was drying off fine but we aren’t in any hurry, so we’ll hang on until Thursday. Even then, there’s not much to bring in. The point being that the weather is cool, the fruit is picture perfect, everything is in a lovely balance but inching to ripeness not sprinting. That means when we start we can, literally, cherry pick at the peak point.

Jean (our young Parisian chef for this year) is cooking up a storm, we’ll definitely weigh a bit more by the time this is done!
Hoping to grab a couple of Rainbow Trout from the lake tomorrow to add to his larder and some amazing Cloudy Bay Diamondshell clams due to arrive later in the week.

Thursday March 23rd

We’re off! More with a whimper than a bang with some small picks from the young vine Chardonnay at Pipeclay Creek and in Block 9 of Elms. The fruit is clean and the pickers are happy. Freezing cold in the mornings (0.3C at MacMuir at dawn this morning) but warming with the sun and lovely sunny days. The sort of days when there’s a bonfire pile of discarded clothes from the picking team by lunchtime.

Friday March 24th

Time for the first Pinot to arrive after a quick early foray into the younger Chardonnay vines in Block 2. Our first Pinot is nearly always from the Riparia Blocks (these are Blocks 3-7 of Cornish Point, which have Riparia Gloire rootstock). As I write this the winery is filled with the sound of the Stones playing, Jagger assaulting a harmonica on a live track, Mick Taylor supplying the guitar. In about 20 minutes time the first trailer will be here and the game begins.  

Monday March 27th

OK...The full picking crew are now called up for duty. Starting with Chardonnay while the fruit is cold (it was only down to 9C last night, positively balmy by Bannockburn standards). Then on to Pinot at Cornish Point. Sun is shining and all is good… so far.
Cheers

Nigel and the team at Felton Road

(Previous months blogs can be found in the link; Reviews & Stuff, Nigel Greening's Blog)