Vintage Reports, Years: 1997

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1997 vintage report for Murray Valley (South Australia)

Sultana yields were 50% down, but all other varieties were up by 5% in the Murray Valley (Sunraysia, Swan Hill) Region, reports Grieg Greenwood, Executive Officer of the Murray Valley Winegrape Industry Development Committee. Vintage started on 1 February, about normal for the region. The Sultana yields were affected by spring frosts and other varieties […]

1997 vintage report for Mornington Peninsula (Victoria)

Yields were 25% lower than average in Mornington Peninsula, due to low bud fruitfulness, particularly on basal buds, low percentage budburst and small bunch and berry size, reports Ian Macr’ of the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons’ Association. Vintage started at the end of March, in very cool and dry weather. There was very little disease incidence […]

1997 vintage report for Macedon Ranges (Victoria)

The vintage in Macedon was described as ‘probably the best in 10 years, rivalling 1992′ by Gordon Cope-Williams, president of the Macedon Vignerons’ Association. He said wines showed wonderful complexity and potential for great longevity. Vintage in the area started on 31 March, which was normal. Yields were down by about 30%, due to low […]

1997 vintage report for Barossa Valley (South Australia)

Crops in the Barossa Valley were generally below average in yields, but quality has made up for this, said Geoff Schrapel, chairman of the Barossa Winemaking Committee of the Barossa Wine and Tourism Association.He said the region’s flagship, Shiraz, was ‘exceptional,’ with rich, ripe fruit characters and fine tannins. ‘The increasingly popular varietals Grenache and […]

1997 vintage report for Adelaide Plains (South Australia)

‘Nature threw at us some unique conditions in 1997,’ said Joe Grilli, president of the Adelaide Plains Winemakers’ Association. The lead-up to the 1997 vintage was ‘classic’ for the Adelaide environs, i.e. a wettish winter followed by a dry spring with little or no disease pressure. Joe said it was evident early on that yields […]

1997 vintage report for Adelaide Hills (South Australia)

Chris Laurie, president of the Adelaide Hills Grapegrowers & Winemakers Association, reported that vintage started in the first week in April, one to two weeks later than normal. The hot spell of weather towards the end of February halted ripening and set the vines back with some loss of berry weight. Overall, yields ranged from […]

1997 vintage report for Yarra Valley (Victoria)

‘The vintage of the century. Pity there’s so little of it,’ was the comment of Judith White, executive officer of the Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association. Overall the decrease was about 50%, due to poor fruitset and poor bud development. Vintage began in the first week of March for most wineries picking for sparkling wines. […]

1997 vintage report for Pyrenees (Victoria)

Neill Robb of Redbank Winery reported that the 1997 vintage in the Pyrenees area started early but went late in some varieties. Overall the yield was about 5% down, due to the dry season. Weather during vintage was sunny and mild. Some vineyards reported some early phomopsis because of late winter rains and lack of […]

1997 vintage report for Grampians (Victoria)

Andrew McLoughney from Mount Langi Ghiran Winery reports that 1997 was a good year in the Grampians area, with variable crops across the area. Quality ranges from good to very good across varieties. Andrew said the reds were looking particularly promising. Some white ferments were slow in finishing primary fermentation. The area had very good […]

1997 vintage report for Goulburn Valley (Victoria)

David Tr’ger, president of the Goulburn Valley Wine Association, said 1997 had proved at this early stage to have been one of the best vintages experienced in the last 25 years in terms of quality. Yields were down as expected because of the high yields experienced in 1996, and some early frost damaged budburst in […]

1997 vintage report for King Valley (Victoria)

The King Valley has suffered difficult vintages in the last few years with some of the wettest ripening periods this century. This year, with a return to weather closer to the long-term averages, the area again showed its great potential, according to Peter Read, President of the King Valley Grapegrowers’ Association. Vintage started at the […]

1997 vintage report for Gippsland (Victoria)

A low-cropping, good quality vintage is reported from Gippsland by Harry Friend, spokesman for the Grapegrowers and Winemakers Association. Vintage started in early April for most of the region. Weather during vintage was fine and mild and there was very little incidence of disease due to the warm, dry season. Harry said marginal varieties ripened […]

1997 vintage report for Geelong (Victoria)

‘A vintage poor in quantity but excellent in quality,’ reported Paul Chambers of the Geelong District Winegrowers’ Association. Red varieties were 20-30% down and white yields about 10% down on normal, following a very warm and dry summer. Weather during vintage was dry and warm, with very low disease pressure. Paul said the vintage had […]

1997 vintage report for Far South Western Victoria

The Far South Western Victorian Viticultural Association president, Alistair Taylor, said yields in the area had been of average size but the quality was ‘exceptional,’ especially in Pinot Noir and sparkling varieties. ‘All fruit had good acid/pH balance and reached the desired maturity, due to dry growing conditions,’ Alistair said. In some varieties yields were […]

1997 vintage report for Diamond Valley (Victoria)

‘Highest quality fruit’ was reported by William Christophersen, secretary of the Diamond Valley Viticultural Association. Vintage started on 21 March, which was later than usual. The 1997 yield decreased by 40-50%, due to cold and cloudy conditions at bud differentiation period and cold,windy and wet weather during flowering. This led to low bunch counts and […]

1997 vintage report for Ballarat (Victoria)

Paul Lesock, secretary of the Ballarat and District Vignerons’ Association, reported lower than normal yields throughout the region, but said the quality of juice produced appeared to be excellent. ‘A number of vineyards experienced their first pickings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, so some new labels will appear from this region,’ he said. The […]

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