A Lazarus Effect

Reviving slowly?
A catch up on some lucky lucky vines.

A walk around the vineyard tonight, and a vine I have nearly given up on has revived.
Depending on how the weather treats it, it may survive summer.
That makes five adoptees adapting to their new yard.
One has bountiful grapes-to-be, one is vigorous, and three maybe okay by next year.

The rest of the Portable Vineyard is very vigorous- looking just great.

Shira/Syrah

Older Shiraz

Possible rivivees

Pinot Noir

lazarus A, B and C

Garage Foxey Grapes

Cuttings Collection

Close up on the lazarus vines

lost my newbies

Sad, but true, lack of immediate care...
As of 25 September 11.

When harry offered me some more vines, I sort of jumped at the chance, some mature vines, Yeah!

But the thing was where were the things to go?

There is no real room for the things in the garden. More pots had to be got.

However, budget wise, good pots as explained before, are a little bit too costly to just charge to the old CC!



In this case, hanging off and just leaving the newly bare rooted vines in the open was a bad thing. The time between the uprooting and the potting was about two to four weeks, my recall now is somewhat a bit hazy- WOTEVAH- it was too long. The potting was done with fresh sandy river soil, potting mixture and a bunch of fertiliser.

To no avail.

The expected bud swelling, so eagerly anticipated did not eventuate, inevitably a lost cause overall.

There appear to be only two active budding, and nearly leafing, survivors of the mildly chilly winter, some shiraz.

Which is nice. Other wise there would be just two chardonnay, and the last time I tried to grow those- nada.

The rest of the newbies, 12 shiraz and 14 chardonnay, are either hibernating for another year or...

Or kindling...

Vines on the run penned up.

Chardonnay vines.
Temporary nursery 
This is a modified earlier post

Had to make some place to keep some reclaimed chardonnay vines from my friend back in June 2011. They are about four or five years old, and nearly fruiting. Two pallets cut in half and some long fruit tree cuttings- Voila! 

The photos show the temporary place until some more pots can be found. Seriously- ten to twenty dollars a pot, another 20 of them will set me over budget! 


While the vines from Harry were bare rooted in the recent frosts, I thought I better cover them with the left over soil from the shiraz potting, so I will need some more when I get more pots. 

There were fourteen. As of 12 August. These have been re-pruned to try the Cane and Spur method. Hopefully, the transplant and re-pruning will be a success.

The summer placement. This is not important, can put the pots anywhere! But at the moment, the thought is to set them along the front fence, where I cut down the awful hedge growth. I think having fourteen will make a nice hedge.

The rest of the Vineyard:

Got some more pots- self watering type, now have 12, need another 20 and more soil. Again...

Bud Burst- officially! The Pinot Noir were the first as of this week- in mid August! Even a lonesome leaf- had no heart to prune it! Left it as a cane...

The 14 transplanted Shiraz plants pruned again, no sign of bud burst yet. The rest of the Shiraz, planted and potted, also pruned again.Pruned the rest of the vines again, almost to a spur or two and a 'cane' if possible. The more reading I am doing educates me so much. Looks like an over-cropping was occurring, and with the plants bound in a pot, maybe it will be a good idea to reduce the foliage and canopy.

re-pruned re-cycled shiraz in the little pots

Finally got around to make cuttings and place them in some nursery pots. Bought two bags potting mix, and mixed in 2 shovels of ground calcium carbonate- limestone- and fertilizer into it. 

Moonshine season

There was ten dozen or more
lying in the cellar...
now there's only four
with empties on the floor...

Twas was payment in kind towards the end of the working relationship when the vineyard and winery was closed down the other year. My boss and friend Bob was not hacking the losing proposition anymore, and bailed out for good financial reasons.

Bugger for me. But he was a good guy. Offered the barrel bottom 03' pinot noir, made by the previous owner of the 'facility'.

My opinion, was, well, okay. It could be going thru the stil, but so what?
It was dry, but you could ignore the taste and burn as it slid down the gullet.
Was a good pizza wine I suppose. With a ciggie.

Late last century, the first vintner there had one vintage of the Pinot Noir rated a 90[?] by a New Yorker.
Which year? 1980 something. Who. Parker? This may be edited later.

As summer is coming up, and the cuttings not yet done, the rum barrel needed filling.

And recycling time.

Out with the 15 liters of garage wine that did not work,
the two bottles of bloody awful sav blanc,
and a dozen of the 'orrible '03 pinot.

And all into the stilling unit.

Two liters rough stuff- water it down 100%, bit of Copper Sulpate and Sodium Chloride, a weeks rest, plan to then filter it a few times or six and Stil it agin! Probably coax a three liter 40% final product.

Can't wait, add the Aussie Rum flavouring and Wham Bam Man, it's a crowd pleaser!