Harvesting Grapes from a Small Vineyard to Make Wine

This week’s video sees me back to the vineyard finishing off the season’s work.

Vintage, the time we harvest the grapes is like a long sigh of relief. The ups and downs of the season, hard work and many a sleepless night worrying about weather and pests culminate in a day of activity that ends in a sticky sweet juice beginning its journey to wine.

This particular season has been one to remember, with damage to the nets caused by a fox resulting in heavy losses of fruit to birds over a weekend. COVID lockdown resulting in difficulties getting a harvest crew together and requiring long hours of lone work to finish off processes.

These sort of memories fade into the ether however, when in 18 months time the wine is bottled and first sampled. There are not many other industries in Agriculture where producers routinely also become manufacturers and value add to the product in house as much as the wine industry.

You can make a wine with simple equipment and a recipe, but after a lifetime of making wine you can honestly say that you will never have made the best wine you could.

Each season, every nuance in the process, every year is a learning curve and a hobby or profession that keeps you learning and developing your skills.

This week we pick and crush the grapes, beginning the ferment of this problematic year’s grapes. Happily the fruit is looking good and the wine will be quite promising (provided I don’t stuff it up)…..

Come along for the day as we begin the ferment of the 2000 vintage Cabernet.