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Vale Nancy Wiltshire, ailment widow of noted viticulturist and winemaker Graham. Nancy passed away on 21 November. Graham Wiltshire, story who passed away in March 2014, was known in the Tasmanian industry as the “Father of Pinot Noir“. Despite his often tactless, dogmatic and uncompromising approach, Graham was much loved and respected. And Nancy? The […]

At the end of last season we instituted a process to ensure that there were no ‘overwintering’ powdery mildew spores – the cause of the devastation of the 2015 Pinot and Chardonnay crops.  This involved two sprays of lime sulphur: one after leaf fall and before pruning and the second after pruning and with the

Found in the inventory: a number of the fabulous Golden Dozen Pinots – the Gold Medal and Trophy winners from the 2010 Royal Hobart Wine Show and the 2011 Tasmanian Wine Show.  If you want one of these better get in quick!  The ideal Christmas present for the abject Pinophiles!  More ifno in the product

The vines response to the laying down of one cane instead of two has been to grow quite a few canes from the crown of each vine foremother than the one year old wood left for that purpose.  Keep in mind that fruitful canes grown only from one year old wood, so the extras, adventitious

Age takes its toll Every Spring we see that the ravages of time and disease have taken their toll: some vines have not made it over  Winter. In most cases it is age and circumstances below the surface.  In other cases it is disease, such as Eutypa or phomopsis, both difficult to control and passed on through

Providence has participated in three previous ”Bashes’ and has supported Variety in their aim to raise funds for needy kids.  Pictured are Johnno and Jan with “Blinky Bill”.  I drove Blinky a couple of years ago and accidentally knocked Marcia’s head off on a gum tree!  Fortunately, Marcia has been repaired!

Always the most exciting time of the year:  budburst.  Wine I first bought the vineyard in 1980, budburst was during the third week in September.  Apart from a brief climatic shift lasting about seven years it has been back to that same time for the past five years and remains one of the four indicators

Yes, and there are some old and bold wines! I was asked last week in cellar door why anyone would stock old Pinot Noir wines.  I replied that there were two reasons:  One was that the wines were crap and wouldn’t sell.  The other reason was that they were wines that have benefitted from long and

And what a beautiful day to start the new season!  To herald Spring’s arrival, the swallows arrived here yesterday.  Despite the mess they make under the awning of the machinery shed their presence is always welcome and warming.  I am excited about this season, particularly following on from last season’s problems that cost me all our

This is the busiest time of the year for a vineyard and seeing as Gary the Goat doesn’t have a current RSA (responsible serving of Alcohol) cellar door opening is less frequent.  Yes, we have done the pre-pruning spray to control the mildew that affected our yield.  We have finished pruning and pulling out the