what’s been happening in our vineyards
APRIL update
Harvest 2025 is officially complete at Koonara! All our grapes have been picked, and what a season it’s been. The vineyard has transformed into a spectacular autumn display, with leaves turning breathtaking shades of golden yellow and deep crimson across the rows.
We finally welcomed some much-needed rain at the end of Easter, giving our hardworking vines a well-deserved drink as they prepare for their winter dormancy. This moisture arrived at the perfect moment, but truth be told, we wouldn’t mind a bit more! We’re keeping our fingers crossed for additional rainfall in the coming weeks to thoroughly replenish soil moisture levels before the winter chill sets in. A well-hydrated vineyard heading into the cooler months sets the stage beautifully for next season’s growth.
While the vineyard enjoys a well-earned post-harvest quiet, the winery is buzzing with excitement as this year’s vintage begins its magical transformation from juice to wine. Our Cabernet is showing particularly promising characteristics in its early stages that has us all rather excited about its potential as it heads to barrel.
MARCH update
Vintage 2025 is in full swing, and we couldn’t be more excited about how things are shaping up! We’ve just finished picking our whites, including our sparkling, still varieties and that lovely Moscato. I’ve got to tell you, the fruit quality is simply stunning this year, with yields that have put smiles on all our faces.
Tuesday morning brought the perfect autumn conditions for picking our Shiraz, and we have a feeling this vintage will be just as spectacular as the morning itself. We’re now gearing up to pick our Cabernet late next week, and between you and me, we’re rather excited to see how it will express itself this year!
With everything going so well with this year’s vintage, we are looking forward to catching up with our fellow winemakers over the next few weeks and getting that all-important sneak peek and taste of the new vintage and, of course, toasting to our success. The sentiment going around is that the 2025 Coonawarra vintage is one to be celebrated.
FEBRUARY update
We’re at the pointy end now! February has been hot and dry, we’ve been keeping busy ensuring the vines get plenty of water. Despite the ongoing heat, the vineyards have been coping exceptionally well.
We’ve been staying on top of nutrients and closely monitoring the soil to keep everything in balance. You could probably say we’re helicopter parents when it comes to our vines.
Coonawarra is traditionally one of the later regions to begin harvest, thanks to our cooler maritime climate. While other areas are wrapping up their picking, we’re just about to hit full swing. The extended growing season allows the grapes to develop beautifully complex flavours, making the wait well worth it. It’s exciting times ahead as we prepare for another great vintage!
January update
It’s been a warm and sunny summer here in Coonawarra, and we’ve been busy keeping the water up to the vines to ensure they stay healthy and thrive through the heat. While the dryness has kept us on our toes with irrigation, it’s also been a blessing by eliminating most disease pressure that can challenge the vines and give the best of us additional grey hairs with worry.
Our grape bunches are starting to develop those complex flavours we’re famous for. It’s like watching your children grow up, except these kids will turn into exceptional wines that’ll make their way to your dinner table.
We’re counting down to vintage now, when all this careful nurturing will pay off. But between you and me, we’re quietly optimistic that this vintage will be something rather special – and we can’t wait for you to taste why!
November update
Our vines are thriving, and spring has kept us on our toes! Over the past month, the vineyards have been a hive of activity. The compost has been spread, giving the soil a nutrient-packed boost, and we’ve treated the vines with a dose of wood vinegar to keep those pesky snails at bay (sorry, snails—this vineyard isn’t on your menu!).
We’ve been lucky to dodge a few frosty nights, with our frost fans working overtime to protect those tender new shoots. So far, so good! Our vines have been pampered with seaweed to improve soil health and root growth. We’ve also used fulvic acid to boost nutrient uptake, potassium to enhance flowering and fruit quality, and silica to strengthen the plant cells. Together, they enhance vine health, improve fruit development, and prepare the vineyard for environmental stresses.
Now, it’s all eyes on the summer months ahead, as we watch the grapes grow
October update
Spring has truly sprung, and the vineyard is bursting with life! The buds are continuing to pop. Our trusty frost fans have been working overtime, protecting those tender new growths, and so far, all is looking great – fingers crossed it stays that way!
Our compost has been settling nicely into the soil, helping to enrich and nourish the vines as we gear up for the growing season. A few large boots of rain have been a welcome relief after what’s been a pretty dry winter, giving everything a well-deserved drink
We were also lucky to miss that wild hailstorm over in Casterton the other day, only 60kms from us! Mother Nature certainly likes to keep us on our toes, but thankfully, we came through unscathed. Here’s hoping for smooth sailing ahead!
September update
Spring has officially sprung, and our vineyards are starting to sprout new life!
While we’ve already had a few frosty mornings, our trusty frost fans have been doing a fantastic job keeping things on track.
Soon, we’ll be spreading our compost to give the vines an extra boost for the growing season ahead.
August update
We’re about to enrich the vineyard soils with a generous layer of compost to ensure our vines have all the nutrients they need to thrive as buds start to burst come springtime.
Meanwhile, our sheep are hard at work, nibbling away at the grass and contributing their own natural compost to the vineyard. Their presence helps keep the grass under control and enrich the soil.
It’s not long now until the frost season, so we will remain vigilant and ready to protect our precious vines.
At this time of year we are eagerly looking forward to seeing those buds start to burst and blossoms on the surrounding trees. Spring is such a pretty time in Coonawarra.
JULY update
We’ve just wrapped up pruning our vineyards and did it much earlier this year than usual. With predictions of another cool and wet summer, we wanted to give our vines as much growing time as possible to get the best results.
Our sheep are happily grazing and fertilizing the vineyards now. We have also finally got some rain, which is a big relief! Next up, we’ll be spreading some rich compost on the vines to give them a great kick-start for Spring.
June update
We are eagerly waiting (along with the local farmers) for the rain to arrive. Fingers crossed for a good downpour soon!
In the meantime, our sheep are happily grazing among the vines, doing their part to keep the vineyard in tip-top shape. It’s lovely to see the little lambs bounding around, and the Mums and bubs are good at keeping the grass down and providing the soil with fertiliser.
We’re also about to start pruning a bit earlier than usual this year. With a cooler summer predicted, getting a head start is essential to ensure our vines have a long-growing season opportunity. After pruning, we are going to them a well deserved good boost with compost and chicken manure and then they can rest for a while until bud burst.
