Where’s the camera when you need it!
It was almost enough to ensure an array of expletives. Saturday morning and the weekly inspection of the bird netting was underway. I got to the last 3 rows of Merlot and found that almost the entire length (150 metres) was lying 10 rows away!! As if someone had picked it up and just dumped it there. No camera in hand - a great picture missed. The only explanation was that a ‘willy-willy’ came through and just picked it up and dumped it.
The job to get the net back into position took three of us some 4 hours. Usually the nets are applied and taken off by machine, this was done by human machines! Some large holes were notice as it obviously caught on trellis posts. These will have to be repaired soon.
Have had a geat 10 - 12 days of fine hot weather with ripening coming along. Sampling will commence this week to get a handle on where things are at. Sugars in degrees Brix will be tested as well as juice checked for flavour. My reckoning is that harvest is still 2- 3 weeks away weather permitting.
Vineman