Last week I attended a demonstration of an imported, Italian manufactured undervine slasher. It was being touted as “tomorrows technology available today“. The machine is being manufactured by Fischer. My good friend, colleague and winemaker of Gherardi wines - Jurg Muggli - is the sole distributor in Australia.
He has been waxing lyrical for years about […]

Yes, as promised, the secateurs were sharpened and from the stiff and swollen right hand I have at the moment,  I can vouch that I have done a few days pruning.
Started with some cane pruning of the Viognier (Montpellier clone) where I use hand secateurs as I like to pull the canes out of the wires […]

The heat certainly did arrive yesterday and more so today. Reached 37C yesterday and 39C today with the night temperatures not getting below 25C, not much diurnal variation during ripening.  This has been a sustained hot period for January.
On both days the nets were checked for any intruders of the feathered type.  Strong winds during the night had […]