Richard Austin reports mixed blessings from the vines. “The climatic
conditions through 2008/2009 have made this the most difficult season
since we started in the industry 27 years ago. This is the worst
drought in memory and with only 250mm of rain up until the end of
November, our crop load is lower than normal. The recent extreme
temperatures mean we’ve really had our work cut out for us,” said
Richard.
The positive news is that the remaining fruit is in good condition. “We
are confident of having a season of high quality, but with lower
volumes,” explained Richard. “The Pinot is our best performer. We are
almost through verasion (the colour change in reds) and the bunches
that survived the heat stress are looking terrific. The Shiraz did not
fair as well. Like those of most of our neighbours, the Shiraz vines
responded poorly to low soil moisture levels and we expect yields of
zero to just half a ton per acre. Generally, the whites are OK but,
again, will produce extremely low yields.”