I switched screen time, for green vines

Always learning

Kia Ora, I’m Lois from Summerhouse Wines.

The other day I made the mistake of asking my manager, “Why is the vineyard team counting all those grapes?!” Well before I knew it, the next day I was told to bring a hat, wear plenty of sunblock and I whisked away on a grunty golf cart (insert proper name here). Joining our viticulturist, Matt, for a day in the vines!

Gloves On

After Matt selected the vineyard block, row and bay, I was given a pair of gloves, to protect my precious office hands and shown how to ‘leaf pluck’! We use this process to make it easier for the counter (aka Matt) to see all the bunches when counting. Each bunch is tallied and from there samples picked to be taken back to the winery. Back on the buggy I go!

Understanding what 2024 Vintage will bring

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Arriving back to HQ with our precious cargo, its time to count and weigh each bunch and berry. I’m not going to lie, the notes and calculations taken were well over my head! Not only does the viticulture team have to be fit, working in all elements amongst the vines, they also need to collect and interpret a huge amount of data. In this case, to provide critical insight into what to expect from vintage 2024.

I may not have been able to decipher the calculations for this year's yield estimates but I know one thing for sure, I will enjoy every sip of this vintage. Having now seen the hard work that goes into one element of harvest preparation, I have high expectations on what’s to come from Vintage 2024, Bring it on!