SPRING 2009
Well, is this going to be the season where the weather gods smile on us?
After our record-breaking Winter rains through June-August (430 mm total) which really filled all the water storages and should have done a great job in recharging the soil moisture, the wet weather continued into Spring with September getting another 128 mm and October 47 mm. We just managed to get it dry enough in the first week of September to allow access for the tractor and the prunings to be mulched. The following four weeks or so were too wet to allow any more access so some of the usual early season’s activities were delayed.
Nevertheless, the first signs of the new season arrived a week or so ahead of schedule with early morning sunshine and bud burst on the Chardonnay in the last two weeks of August. The Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir followed about a week later. Shoot growth through September was slow as a consequence of the continuing wintry wet weather with little bursts whenever the temperature warmed up a bit and the sun came out to encourage us all.
Since the end of pruning in mid-August, our vineyard focus has been on preparing for the next season and waiting for the ground to dry out enough for machinery access. Fertilizer spreading had to wait and the early season foliar feeder sprays were done using the very light 4WD quad bike. Finally the tractor with the mower and the big sprayer came into use late in October and early November with the onset of enough warm dry weather to make this possible. The vines are now growing very well after a slow September. Overall, this pattern suggests quite a good start to the new season.
Our nutrition strategy focuses on a program of foliar sprays to provide the basis for improved fruit set (in late November – early December). We are adding a few trace elements and a kelp seaweed extract which seems to help in sustaining vine performance. As in the past year, we have continued to base soil nutrition on the use of a complex organic fertilizer spread in late May. With all the rain in June this been well-watered in and now well integrated into the soil structure!
This season our grape and wine production focus will be on finally getting the over-grafted Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris vines back into significant production and we should see the results of all of this effort. We are now confidently expecting up to a doubling of Pinot Gris production which is very good news for all those lovers of this stunning new variety.
Significant Pinot Noir production increases of perhaps 30-40% are also indicated.
Another factor to make a very significant positive change is the extension of the double-cane “Scott Henry” trellis system into about 45% of the vineyard. We have trialled this system over the past two years and now aim to get a (conservative) 50% increase in production from each vine. In our location, the lower “fold-down” canopy also has the significant benefit of creating a shelter belt effect which reduces the cooling effect of light winds such as the sea breeze.
Perhaps the most significant changes to Cape Bernier made over the past six months involve a very serious move into the eastern seaboard market and we now have D istribution in Melbourne (Mark Singarella at Vino Bambino), in Sydney and Canberra (Alex Retief at AWR Wines) and in Brisbane/SE Qld (with Howard Johnson at Tasmanian Boutique Liquor Providores). We have been working closely with these three specialist fine wine merchants and look forward to success in achieving further recognition in these important markets.