Albury Celebrates with Silent Pool Rosé

Our new gazebo made its first appearance at the Albury Produce Show on Saturday. We were very pleased with the gazebo but Albury residents were even more impressed with our Silent Pool Rosé.

Most folk had heard that a local wine had been served on the Royal Barge as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and were keen to taste it for themselves. Over 170 people tasted the wine and our remaining stock was sold out within a couple of hours - a resounding success.

Fingers crossed for some good weather next week to help fruit set followed by a hot late summer so that we have a good harvest and a repeat performance next year.

Shoot Tipping

Shoot Tipping

Shoot tipping is part of canopy management that involves removing the top of the growth tip of a shoot. This temporarily changes the flow direction of nutrients and water and therefore encourages lateral shoot growth, which in turn will provide additional leaf surface which increases photosynthesis during fruit ripening.

This practice would normally be done after fruit set but Peter Hayes has advised us that that vine tipping may also divert carbohydrate to flowers and help the fruit set process. It won't overcome poor flower development or reinstate aborted flowers but where vigor is high may help. With the recent poor weather we need all the help we can get!

Rain rain go away

St Swithin's Holy Well

We don't have a single day in the next 10 that is forecast to be without rain - in July! This isn't good news on the vineyard  as it is the season for flowing and pollination which, to be effective, requires warm dry and sunny days.

Flowering is between one and two weeks behind this year as a result of the poor cooler weather in May and June. Some of the Seyval have flowered but there is no cap fall yet on the Pinot and Chardonnay. We can only hope that the sun shines on St. Swithin's day (15th July) and that 40 days of sun continue thereafter. Alex and I will be doing a sun dance later today!