I was chatting to Kirstin Searle from Matawhero Wines about the 2012 Harvest and she has kindly sent me this report through.
Here are her thoughts on the vintage so far and some pics of the vineyard taken on Friday.
“As I look out the window today and see some glorious sunshine over the vineyard, it is a good time to reflect on how the season has gone so far. 2012 promises much but as grapegrowers we know that the season is not over until all the fruit is in the truck and on its way to the winery. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining the overall vintage quality. The Spring of 2011 provided ideal conditions for both flowering and fruit set. Early warm winds were particularly strong this vintage. The bunch numbers in the vineyard were about average across the board, meaning a relatively minimal amount of shoot and bunch thinning was required for yield management early in the growing season. The bunches this year have also a more consistent berry size, so fingers crossed this should lead to a nice even ripeness across all the fruit.
At the time of writing this we have been experiencing unseasonably high amount of rainfall and humidity. Great for the water tanks but certainly testing our viticultural practices! The nets are now on so all we can do is wait and hope the rain has come early this year and the weather gods will keep the sun shining well into March and April. “
Kirsten Searle
Matawhero Wines
189 Riverpoint Road
www.matawhero.co.nz
