Monthly Report - June 2024
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Pruning delayed…
Pruning normally commences in June – the vines have become a form of dormant with the cold air resetting the schedule of operations. This has not quite been the case this month with the continued warming trend dragging out the time to dormancy even further. It is strange to see so many unpruned vines when driving around the region and it is apparent that everyone is attuned quite closely to the situation. Soon enough the rush will begin and electric secateurs will be whirring and clacking throughout Margaret River.
My June personally was an odd one as Marjory was in the Philippines for the first two weeks of the month, and then I was in Tanzania for the last 11 days of the month. All got back to normality in early July and hopefully will remain so for a few more months as we buckle down on making the vineyard clean of all those pesky canes.
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I am not sure who got the better deal – Marjory in the Philippines or me in Tanzania…
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Purchased a Case or Deux…
Thanks to everyone who purchased some of the latest releases with the mail out in June – the Deux Écus and Reserve Cabernet Franc were quickly snapped up from those who wanted to top up or missed out on the initial en primeur release. The Reserve Merlot was well supported and that makes me very happy – such a delicious wine and when presented at tastings on the estate it is universally loved.
All will be quiet for a couple of months, but Tim and I are thinking of possibly putting on a dinner in Melbourne to celebrate the release of the 2021 Allouran as well as show case some older vintages and the latest Deux Écus over a delicious meal. For those who attended the previous wine dinner held at Ryne Restaurant way back in 2019, you know just how much fun they can be, so we are hoping we can get this up and running. Keep an eye on the inbox dear comrades!
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Why the wine industry s*cks…
Courageous? Foolhardy? Why would you say such a thing, when you rely so heavily on the continual pump pump of good news to keep the coffers flowing? Because it sort of does because we have made it so. Let me explain.
The wine industry is a multi-headed hydra which ranges from corporate boards through to fermenting jars in a garage. It is not any one layer that has this form of separation either – from the vines through to the wines, into the associations, the retail world and even the exporting realm. It has so many layers and players that to name it as an “industry” is a massive disservice as this solely considers one thing – the product – nothing else.
By the limiting of the field of vision to the simple product itself, you very rarely see how this industry has splintered into jagged pieces – with the only saving grace being the various individual’s level of interest in the product that creates the fine lines of separation. For most wines sold it is a cold call of price and replication that makes them sell – stand in the corner of a Dan Murphy’s for 20 minutes and you will see exactly what I mean. Groups like Coles and Woolworths have tapped into the Zeitgeist and create 100’s of labels with at times curious origin stories giving some verisimilar to provide the patina of “choice” knowing that at $12 and reproduceable quality then this wine will move X units over X time. To be completely honest they could hone their whole menagerie of plonk down to 10 bottles and they would have the same market share. This however would mean that that they would not have the opportunity to up their profit by moving X volume over X time of $15 / $20 / $25 dollar wine with a similar cost structure to that $12 bottle that the punters like so much.
Yep, it is business but it s*cks.
Another component of the industry that is all invasive is the pressure of brands to be recognized by the masses. We all know that it is harder and harder to get your name out there using conventional methods – so brands from the corporate area of our industry have to be inventive. The replication of your name whenever “wine” is discussed is key – Penfolds are masters at this, and they take pride of place in generating 1000 stories of inane content with their name proudly front and forward. For every time you see “this wine is better than Grange at 1/50th of the price” you fail to remember the wine (which was this Goliath killer), but rather Goliath. Media is selling clicks not news and this is one of the many forms of press that the punters like so much.
Yep, it is brand awareness but it s*cks.
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Within our industry we have so many varied associations and regulatory boards etc that control the messaging from our regions and states. Due to the way various Australian States provide funding for tourism and various promotion type industries they allow Wine Associations (Truffle Associations, Hotel Associations etc) to receive extra funding if they heavily promote the tourism aspect of the industry that they represent. This funding makes up a major percentage of the various Wine Associations funds and as such they focus heavily on this aspect of their work for the wineries paying fees. Research into aspects to aid vineyards, or active support of wineries without cellar doors or small volumes is very limited. We therefore pay fees to get a postage discount and meet government obligations, but not much else. It does, however, provide food and sporting events sponsored by the Wine Association with wine as a bonus that the punters like so much.
Yep, it is regional promotion but it s*cks.
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Margaret River Narnia?
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I believe you are now following my line of thought. Funnily enough it was always going to end this way, we have made it so by simply having so much choice and so many options that it has to be simplified. We at Blue Poles are as responsible for this situation as anyone else, what were we thinking? Developing a vineyard, making wine, trying to sell it at high prices into a market absolutely filled with equivalents – guilty as charged. The major retailers noticed the methods applied by small wineries to promote their wines and rather than deal with them they simply copied them (at significantly more profit). Likewise, the media knows there has been an explosion in wine regions and brands, but only a few are omnipresent so best to use these touchstones when writing generic stories as most readers can therefore follow. As for the Associations, it is a case of paying the bills and why not top up (in some cases provide most of the funding), with tourism and a “touch” of wine … what is not to like?
So back to the start. Our industry is simply the product, and the product is wine regardless of its origin story. Marjory and I really like wine, and I know Tim and Yuko do as well. Our product came from something we planned and grew and bottled. No one else can produce this product and we believe it is awesome and we would love to share our wine with all who enjoy fine wine as well. So, when I received this following text and image from Tom A – a really nice guy I have known for years and years through wine – I genuinely was touched (and if you know me that is quite odd being the grumpy old soul I am):
“Hi Mark, forgot to let you know. Wines served in pairs, yours came up so well. Beautiful weight, more density compared to the Hannah, and wonderful length. Had a really delicious suppleness to it but the structured core held it together nicely to create such a balanced drink. Crowd favourites for the night were the VCC and the Blue Poles. Really awesome showing. Eglise perhaps let down by the vintage, did enjoy its firmness. Levangile opened out of the blocks superbly, but the graphite tones made it almost left bank like. La Cons just sexy gear. VCC a complete package. Thanks Mark!”
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I did not reply to Tom, I gave the old heart sticker-me-jig and hoped he was not annoyed. My thoughts were that I was not going to overlay some ramblings on his text that could be considered self-indulgent or egotistical, or even just plain silly. To have our wine considered the equivalent of some of the best wines in the world is humbling and a blessing, is enough. Thus Tom, if you are reading this, thanks so very very much.
Yes, the wine industry s*cks for so many reasons. But I do not care at all – to worry about it is like getting angry at clouds. Blue Poles, for all our tiny little place in the industry that towers over us, has made some truly amazing wines and we can never have that taken away. With that in mind dear comrades, over the next month please feel free to grab a bottle of our wine from the cellar and simply enjoy it with a meal, a show, company, a quiet afternoon or evening and know that we are really pleased that you have come along to share this journey with us.
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Deluge and drip feeding...
The first day of June started with a bang with an almighty deluge dropped in to visit Osmington with >60mm of rain in the gauge before a month of skittering showers and threatening weather that did not quite deliver became the “plat du jour”. Last year was cold, I do remember that, but this year has had that mild air feel about it – less of those winds biting through your coat. But all being said, it has been a good month to feel the seasons move in the right direction and put these vines to sleep.
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Sunrise on 1 June...rain incoming​
The numbers for this month and last year’s figures are provided below:
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June 2024:
Avg Maximum Temp 17.1°C
Daily Max recorded 21.7°C
Avg Minimum Temp 8.7°C
Daily Min recorded 2.9°C
Rainfall: 156.6mm
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The average maximum and minimum temperature averages were much warmer than in 2023. Rainfall total for 2023 was high at >200mm, but we did have a solid month of rain in 2024.
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June 2023:
Avg Maximum Temp 15.3°C
Daily Max recorded 18.2°C
Avg Minimum Temp 6.7°C
Daily Min recorded 0.8°C
Rainfall: 210.2mm
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Pruning Begins for Real…
No excuses anymore. As noted last month Chardonnay will be the first cab off the rank, followed by whichever vine looks the most rested. I have a few wines to post out so keep an eye out for your orders if they have not arrived as yet, and I have a birthday for me which apparently is one of the “big” ones, so I had better pretend it is important.
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As always if you have any queries about what has been written or about wine in general, do not hesitate to contact us either by email, Instagram or Twitter and we will do our very best to answer any question.
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Cheers
Mark Gifford
Blue Poles Vineyard