So how do we know tomorrow is the day? Well first and foremost the birds trying to eat all the grapes gives you an indication they're ripe. Various methods are used to stop them...nets being the most effective but others are used. In fact the beautiful Awatere Valley has gone from being the most serene office in the world to being like something in the middle of a war zone...if the bird bangers are not setting explosions off in every vineyard around you then it's the horns beeping from the cars driving round the vineyards to detract the birds...yes seriously people are employed to drive around a vineyard all day blasting their horns!! It makes it sound like the kind of places John Simpson or Kate Adie used to report from (showing my age)!!
Once the birds have given you the nod you start sampling the grapes. This involves going to random rows in every block of grapes in every company owned and contract growers vineyards and filling a ziplock bag half full with grapes. Pick your row, pick random bunches along that row and take a grape from the top, one from the bottom, one from the middle front and one from the back middle of each bunch...you can imagine how many times you have to do that to fill a bag!! And now it's autumn it's a bit chilly at 7am though still stunning
Once you've taken the samples and meticulously coded them you take them back to the lab at the winery where you mark up specimen jars with the codes, take the corresponding bag of grapes, crush them as if they were in the press and put the juice into the jars.
You then use lots of mad, sensitive and expensive equipment to measure Brix (sugar content), Ph levels and acid levels. A combination of all of these readings informs whether the berries are ready to pick or not.
Very scientific but there are some moderating factors...it's mainly about the Brix. For sparkling you want 18-19 Brix, Sauv Blanc is about 21, Pinot Gris about the same and Pinot Noir would be 25. Then the art takes over...the winemaker has to not only think about how all the factors interact but take all the science out and decide how nice the grapes do and will taste. Then they pick the day...and literally a day makes a difference...the weather can cause the sugar level in the grapes to increase by one Brix per day. So here's hoping tomorrow is the day...apparently it all starts with a ceremonial cracking of the champagne by the vineyard manager and the winemaker...could be interesting at the 7am start!!
In a related note and as I said earlier this week is a fitting crescendo to my trip...I cannot believe it but this is my last full week on the vineyard / winery and it's only two weeks until I start heading South for the return journey to London...I have no idea where the time has gone and really need the clock to stop for a while. We've done tonnes and know what we still have to do (as tourists) but it's all zooming by at a rate of knots!!
That said, a combo of all the exciting things still to come on the vineyard / winery with the vintage/ harvest starting, helping induct the vintage staff and the exciting adventures like walking the Queen Charlotte Track will make it an experience packed couple of weeks. Hold on to your hats!!
This week I have...
...HUNG OUT in Picton with Glenda and one of the most amazing , generous, eccentric women I know...Margaret McHugh...an amazing cook, astute businesswoman and one of life's greatest social commentators and upholders of standards.
...WINED ON...lots of interesting wines (from Vavasour, Tohu, Stanley Estste, Peter Yealands) at the start of vintage BBQ held for the Awatere Wineries at Vavasour Winery...stand out was the Vavasour Chardonnay (can't believe I'm saying that Evelyn) and their Pinot Noir. Also see Dined On for the best wine of the week if not the trip so far.
...DINED ON...I won't often do this but the meal and wine combo I made on Friday night was the standout this week. Roast lamb with med veg couscous, salad leaves with orange dressing and feta, mint and olive oil. This was matched with Craig Francis 2011 Pinot Noir. Craig is a small wine producer who works at the winery and makes his own wine in a corner of it in his spare time. Without giving away the story to them, my guests agreed this was the best Pinot Noir they'd ever had. Praise indeed. His Sauvignon Blanc is also great.
Dessert was orange compote infused sponge with Tohu Late Harvest Reisling (not available cos Air New Zealand bought it all for their Koru lounges...if only I still had a gold card).
And after patting myself on the back, Glenda and I enjoyed the most amazing Terraki (fish) with lime and leek risotto, basil dressing and salad leaves accompanied by their Trigg Hill Riesling (from Bendigo)
Rest assured after all that indulgence it's back to fasting, swimming and yoga as of tomorrow!
So wish me luck...a big week of harvesting, wine making...and getting to ride on big tractors!! Bring it on.
Have a good week everyone.
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