The vintage in Ballarat, a cool climate wine region dominated by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, started very early in the second week of March. By the second week of April, vintage was complete. Ballarat and District Vignerons Association secretary Paul Lesock said weather conditions were generally favourable throughout the season. There was no real problem […]
Vintage generally began in the first week of March in the foothills of the Peninsula, with happy vines that had received a very wet pre-flowering and a mostly dry post-flowering. The upper hills didnt get going until mid-March but a week of hot and sunny weather saw everyone scrambling to pick what was left before […]
Overall crop levels in the Henty wine region were down on average in the range of 10-25%, according to Henty Wine Region Association secretary Peter Dixon. Around Hamilton and Tarrington in the north of the region, growing season conditions were drier and hotter than average with Hamilton recording its driest spring/summer on record. Many growers […]
Only two words are needed to describe vintage 2013 in the Goulburn Valley: hot and dry. Thats according to Neil Larson, secretary for the Goulburn Valley Wine Association, and winemaker at Tahbilk winery. The flipside is that we had very few disease concerns a welcome relief after the wakeup call that was 2011, he […]
The dry growing season along with high water allocations have given Perricoota growers the ability to grow vines that were in good balance for vintage 2013. Pest and diseases were easily controlled, and the only losses experienced were to birds at the tail end of the season. Perricoota Grape Growers Association president Michael Gray said […]
The Tasmanian vintage started in late February and, by mid-April, was yet to finish, with both whites and reds still on the vine. Wine Tasmania industry development officer David Sanderson said yields had been average to heavy, with more and larger bunches than the previous season. This does not imply overcropping, as Tasmanian yields are […]
Vintage 2013 in the Yarra Valley receives an overall rating of excellent, according to Richard Howden, CEO of Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association. Warm and dry growing conditions were fairly consistent throughout the season and extended through to mid-April ideal conditions for all varieties, he said. While yields were down, the wines are showing […]
Growers in southern Queensland started harvesting white varieties Verdelho, Chardonnay and Viognier in the first week of January. In some cases, harvesting was undertaken early due to the threat of rain and disease, particularly downy mildew. Harvesting of red varieties mostly Shiraz, Chambourcin, Merlot, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon started in late January […]
The 2013 vintage on the Granite Belt got off to a great start in early February with high anticipation of a bumper harvest following early good rain. The whites started being harvested without problem and are showing good varietal characters, while the reds were harvested with more difficulty. The reds started with unseasonal heat that […]
Allan Pankhurst, president of the Canberra District Wine Industry Association President, says there’s been just the right amount of sun and rain to make this year’s crop a rival to the 2008 crop. Winemakers say well-timed rain and hot weather will result in this years vintage being top class. A good spring, good moisture followed […]
The 2013 harvest for white varieties got off to an early start in the first few weeks of February in the Blackwood Valley, following warm conditions in January. Despite the reasonably quick ripening time, quality in the whites was outstanding, said Kirsten Skraha, president of the Blackwood Valley Wine Industry Association. Unseasonal wet weather during […]
Vintage 2013 has lower than forecast yields, reflecting a return to an average year when compared with the bumper 2012 harvest, especially for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon. By the end of March, the whites had been completed. Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends were impacted by the cooler spring with Chardonnay also affected somewhat, with high […]
The Geograph grape harvesting commenced in mid-January, with the first fruit harvested being Verdelho followed by Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay and then Chenin Blanc. The majority of the red varieties grown in the region were very different; some of the earlier ripening varieties, such as rose, were picked in early March but most were delayed […]
Vintage 2013 started early in Peel, with a number of vineyards commencing in the third week of January during the hottest summer recorded in Western Australia. Peel Wine Association president Bernie Worthington said yields on whites were down about 20% on average and, despite heat causing some sunburn, quality was overall excellent. He said red […]
Ideal weather conditions both leading up to and during the harvest season has resulted in grapes of high quality and intense flavour, according to Julie Church of the Swan Valley and Regional Winemakers Association. Low rainfall this summer has meant disease has been non-existent, resulting in fruit of a consistently high standard, she said. She […]
A hot, dry summer with January temperatures at 3?C above the mean maximum temperature saw fruit being picked up to 10 days earlier than usual in Pemberton. Whites and reds were both harvested earlier compared with previous years, and reports are that fruit quality is exceptional. By all reports, the 2013 vintage was a season […]