News & Press

Harvest at Domain Road ..... - 10 Apr 19

The trusty Bedford Truck.....

A rose to herald in the Rosé - last week saw the beginning of the harvest at our Domain Road Vineyard - this is the older of our two vineyards, planted in a small valley above the Kawarau River, on what used to be an apricot orchard.  These vines are the earliest that we planted back in 2002/2003 and we have been producing premium Pinot Noir from them since 2006.  We have kept with the tradition of roses at the ends of a few rows as you drive into the vineyard - and some of these are still flowering at the end of a row of Clone 6 which we picked for our Rosé - how appropriate! 

Sébastien - checking the trailer before taking another bin of Pinot Noir to be loaded onto the old Bedford Truck that gets called into service at Harvest!

And another bucket of beautiful Pinot goes into the bins - Albert looking pleased with his contribution.

The first Sauvignon Blanc from the Domain Road block comes into the bins......

The wind machine does not reach the bottom Sauvignon Blanc but the fruit is amazing despite the lack of leaves!!

Frosts are not good any time during the growing season - and these vines are showing the effect of the minus 4 temperature we had one night last week!

In the tasting room we often get asked about the nets - and people are surprised that we pick under them - but as you can see with overhead nets and the tractors roll bars to help there is plenty of room!!   More bins of Sauvignon Blanc on their way to the truck!

The end is in sight - almost the last of the Pinot Noir coming in from Domain Road - Paradise here we come (at least for some of the fruit!!).

        The Riesling on Domain Road was almost the last to come in  - 

Looking forward to a few wines - after a record breaking Riesling pick.    

All done except for the Sauvignon Blanc on Templars Hill which we will pick in another month or so for our Late Harvest wine - Symposium. 

Well done Fiona and the team - what a great job.  Thank you also to Graeme and Gillian for putting on a great harvest supper to celebrate the end of another successful harvest.   Everyone is looking forward to a brief respite over the Easter weekend - well earned by all concerned. 

Harvest 2019 Defiance Vineyard - 6 Apr 19

This week we finished the harvest on Defiance Vineyard our vineyard on Felton Road ..... here Leisha is picking the clone 5 of the Pinot Noir for our Rosé, one of our most popular wines, the 2019 vintage of this will be released in September so you Rosé lovers watch out for this so that you will not be disappointed!!  Despite the cold morning Leisha looks as though she is enjoying the picking! 

Orlane and Sebastien checking the bins to ensure that we are sending only top class fruit into the winery, this is clone 115 of the Pinot Noir also destined for the Rosé.

Superb looking fruit - these are bunches of clone 643 - this fruit will go into our Defiance Pinot Noir (a barrel selection Pinot from our Defiance vineyard)

Next up came the Pinot Gris - big bunches and great looking fruit.  This is clone 457.  

Out of the Pinot Noir, clone 113 finished, and into the Pinot Gris.

Pinot Gris with a touch of Pinot Blanc.  This is not as unusual as you might think.  Pinot Noir can be particularly prone to mutation and thanks to its long history in cultivation there are hundreds of different clones in vineyards around the world.  Both Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc result from mutated Pinot Noir grapes.  Pinot Gris is a Pinot Noir skin around cells that have mutated to Pinot Blanc, so it doesn't have the dark colour of Pinot Noir but neither is it the greenish white of Pinot Blanc instead it is something in between - more of a ruby red.  You can find vines with aberrant bunches, split bunches and even berries that are 50:50!!!

Colin and Valeriane - giving the thumbs up to a good days picking!!

Almost there - the Chardonnay - clone 548, this is a clone that helps us produce full bodied wines with great aromas.  

Fiona, our Vineyard Manager, is looking happy. Possibly because we have almost finished picking Defiance, and have had a week of good weather in which to do it. It could of course be the quality of the fruit that is being picked! 

A job well done - the team outside the Cellar Door on Defiance - enjoying a well earned wine in the sunshine!!  Thanks everyone!!!

This time of year we always keep a watchful eye on the weather - later that same evening we had hail showers over the Cairnmuirs.....

and the next morning...Frost on nets at Domain Road Vineyard - where the team will be heading this coming week.  They will be pleased that they were not picking here this morning!! 

The start of harvest 2019 - 3 Apr 19

Fiona inspecting the Sauvignon Blanc

The sun is shining, the grapes are ripe and the pickers are hard at work bringing in the fruits of another year of hard work in the vineyard by Fiona and her team.

There is still much to do but the first fruit from Defiance Vineyard is in the winery for Pete to take the next steps towards the 2019 vintage.

The first to come home was one of the Chardonnay clones - 809 - this is one of the three great clones used by the French Grand Crus of Corton-Charlemagne and is the clone whose berries taste like muscat and which provides the distinctive muscat aroma in our Chardonnay.

Next it was the turn of the Riesling on Defiance - too early to say at this stage whether this will be Duffers Creek, The Water Race or contribute to both!!  Alongside the bins of Riesling you can see the Pinot Gris - looking great again this year.

Today we are picking Pinot Noir for our delectable Rosé so should have some pictures to show you very soon.