Harvest 2002 Report

Maybe not the best summer for sitting on the beach, but for grape growers it has been extremely good. We had a warm spring, bring the buds out earlier than normal, and not followed by the feared frost. The late summer weather (August and September) have been very dry, just as we wanted. The berries stayed small and developed good sugar levels. The bit in the middle (June and July) was less favorable. Wet weather prevented the flowers from setting their fruit, resulting in a low yield. In fact the lowest yield per acre that we have ever had. So we have only harvested 3 tonnes of grapes this year, which is miserable for us, but the low yield and small berries lead to excellent concentration, flavours and high sugars all round. Acid in the grapes was reduced by the Autumn sunshine. This is an easy year for winemakers because the fruit quality is near perfect.

Mildew has been kept under control, with only a minor problem with some downy mildew on our Pinot Noir in July. Organic disease control has proved effective. We have been testing out a new idea, which is to spray with liquid compost (called "compost tea"), very rich in beneficial fungal and bacterial activity. The microbes destroy mildew spores. The trials have been sufficiently effective for us to extend our trial over a larger area next year. These vines will be sprayed with nothing but compost tea - no sulphur, copper etc.