Monthly Report - November 2020

​

End in Sight…

It was very peculiar about how we heard about the new vaccines – it has come at a time in which the virus has never been as rampant and really in the nick of time.  I have not followed it closely enough to be able to say what the difference is between the 3 vaccines that have been promoted as the most efficacious apart from one or two need to be frozen, but what I do know is that without one of these vaccines getting to the most vulnerable in the coming 6 months then it could be catastrophic for many countries (and still may be – India, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, etc will have difficulty in obtaining and distributing the vaccines ensuring a lengthy period of recovery).

So, for us here in Australia, we are now looking at a glimmer of light.  Many of us wish to get back to unrestricted travel – like the good old days – but I have a feeling the good old days may now be a relic of history.  Our attitudes to work (do we need to travel to the office every day?), travel and frivolous expenses (those past costs are now noted in our higher bank balances if you had been lucky enough to continue your employment), has changed us dramatically.  We have altered (even here in little Western Australia), our economic norms have been re-routed and who knows what impact this will make on the financial “growth” of the country if we do not continue our rampant consumerism as before.

The year 2021 could a big reset for many companies and individuals.  No one can approach their workplace and lifestyle with the same feelings as before, so questioning of value and need has become part of our modern psyche.  And I am guessing, possibly for the better.

Keep safe comrades.

​

Full Fling Flowering…

The good part of writing these reports is that I get to keep a record of all the activities in the vineyard for myself as well, therefore having 15 years of these monthly reports gives me the ability to flick backwards and forwards through the vintages to see my running commentary (and my at times average use of the English language).  I say this as there has been a real drama drama over this vintage in the region to date as the weather has been so changeable and wind/ rain has been messing up the plans made of mice and men.  It is as if all have forgotten the events of any of the vintages’ past.  Looking back, the spring of the 2010 vintage we had 65mm of rain (fantastic vintage after we had a dry and even summer from that point on), and in the 2008, 2015 and 2019 vintages we had cooler Novembers preceding warmer Decembers (again all very good vintages for the region).

Thus, I believe we protest-eth too much.  Any Margaret River vintage, like a cake, is prepared in the spring and then cooked in the summer.  If the heat is even and the skies remain dry and clear moving forward, we will be in for another good vintage to add to the majority over the past 20 years.  But, we do have an issue as rain and wind that has occurred during flowering this year will reduce yield, and I believe we are up for a further low tonnage vintage in the region (which unusually, is becoming part of the new normal around here).  And the reason for the low tonnage?  Well it is all about fruit set, and when it is windy and wet, this reduces potential fruit set and gives the risk for mildews later in the year as spores get caught up in the tiny bunches.  But it is very random, as each vineyard, block, and vine is unique to one another and poor fruit set one day, could be perfectly fine fruit set the next – so from an overall perspective we are looking at lower yields, but this is tempered by so many factors that it is just the “vibe man”.

I am quite sure that our vineyard is in one of the coolest spots in Margaret River.  On the valley floor, exposed south and west which opens it to an early sea breeze, and lower night time temperatures during most months has meant that we pick later as the vines relate to the climate later than all the vineyards nearer the coast and further north.  Thus we are still going through flowering for the red varieties and our Shiraz has still to really crack on which makes me want to give it a bit of a kick – come on, we haven’t got all day!

During the month, all the first wires went up, we cleaned all the base of vines by hand, hand thinned most of the Merlot and Cabernet Franc, put out about 3-4 sprays and John the viticulturist rang up 4 times to complain about the weather (it is not my fault fella!).  As predicted, it was a month of walking and bending – and this is to continue unfortunately as the weather has been such that growth is bonkers and I am going to have to hand thin again just to keep the balance.

​