"What now?!"

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It’s the beginning of March in Marlborough and the first grapes are yet to come off. The vineyard work is done(apart from picking) and now wait for the flavours to develop.  It’s an easy time to get distracted with beer, wine, BBQ’s, more wine, etc but nevertheless there’s endless preparationneeded before the onslaught of harvest.

Frequent vineyard visits equipped with refractometer(a device that records the sugar level), water bottle(to wash off sticky juices?!) and the trusty work vehicle take up most of the month and the fuel card melting. Whilst the balance of time is in the winery involving harvest planning, tank logistics and any last minute bottlings!

Most importantly it’s a time to monitor grape flavour development and ‘have a yarn’ with grapegrowers.

Looking forward to Harvest 2013.

“On the ice…..too cold to work”

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It’s so cold, it’s too cold to work.  Well that’s what I was told before I got to Chateau Yuhuang this month in Qintongxia, Ningxia Province, China.  I was told the winery was closed and I would be unable to do any cellar work.  

“What do you mean?” I asked.

"The winery has frozen pipes and all the workers are bottling in the underground cellar”, said Senior Winemaker Mr Wong.

I knew from my last visit that it gets cold. The previous post shows how and why the vines are buried in this region, but to work in a winery that has temperatures sub -14 degrees Celsius........well……. this is a new experience and one I'll have to get used to.

In a warm office, over a bowl of noodles (local mianpiar), it was a great way to spend time with the winemaking team to discuss the past vintage, assess quality and practice my mandarin!

“Jack Frost – Viticulturist”

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We’re preparing for a late night with Jack.  Why does he do it?  We’re not sure, but it has to be fought and won!

In Marlborough, New Zealand, late spring frosts can cause severe damage.  The low temperatures (sub zero) and high air moisture levels will retard vine growth and burn new shoots.  Without effective frost protection winemakers and growers can lose their entire crop!

Above is the helicopter we’ll need to use if the temperature drops below 1C.  We’ve strategically placed temperature sensitive flashing lights around the vineyard in the low lying areas that will flash and tell the pilot where to fly.  By hovering over the vineyard at a height of 7-15m the pilot can find the inversion layer (warmer air) and blow this down into the cold air that’s covering the vineyard.  This process can last all night so a coffee thermos and hot toast are a must.

Fingers crossed Jack doesn’t get his way!

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