Winter 2014

Winter 2014

The portable Vineyard- and Winter 2014. 

The pruning was done two weeks ago, end of Autumn with 99.99% of the leaves dropped.

But! What is surprising are some new buds!

What does this mean?

An anomaly I hope- spring was still a full season away!

This year the pruning was severe and not- leaving at least a full cane for a few of the tubs and planted vines. Let's see what is croppable next vintage, although the Foxy Wine Vine will indubitably be prolific with no outside help at all!

There was some replenishing of stakes- rotten ones removed and in place a plastic coated steel tube.

No more trying to get cuttings going- last year's did not survive the lack of watering that #2Son was supposed to be doing while I was away.

The irrigation system I dreamed up a year ago has yet to be implemented, but then so was replanting all the tubs into the yard has not been done either, but now- four years from now we may be out of this place- and I do want to keep a few of the plants, if not all.

Winter 2014 may be very different from the last few winters- mild in fact? The last vintage was not bad, but I think that if I can only get 6 litres off fifty plants, maybe time to let the Portable Vineyard go...

Wine tasting for Winter 2014

After a disappointing opening of 2000 and 2001 vintages of Basket Press bottles from Rockfords in the Barossa Valley [South Australia] the last few weeks, and luckily the last of the cases too. The last bottle of the 1996 and one of the 2002 did NOT disappoint AT ALL! Maybe a vertical tasting of what is in the cellar over the next few months is in line to make sure I am not keeping flat brown wines down there! So- who wants to do some small vertical tastings with me? 2001 to 2012?

Sharing a 2002 and a 2003 in Buninyong with my brother and sister-in-law recently was a pleasant experience.

In any case, I will be definitely going through the rest of the cases in the cellar by the time the Winter 2014 is over with help or not! The Basket Press of 1998 consumed last night was good, still some life, but probably not the $220 worth that I saw on an auction site later.

Winter 2013

Winter 2013

Lined up 

All the bunch ready potted vines line up down along the side fence for winter now, ready for spring bud time- about to occur quite soon.
Over forty portable backyard vines now, with eleven or so one year olds re-potted.
Re-thought the irrigation- get that lined up down the fence line this year, maybe a timer of 2-4 liters per day- or enough to fill the cut down and nearly buried 2 liter containers

one and two year old cuttings

The Pinot, and cat 

Pre-Spring Preparations

Pre-Spring Preparations

The Spring of 2012

Winter

After pruning back the potted grape-vines this year, a look over the vines gave a sort of satisfying 'job well done Tone'. Some of the vines were pretty well pruned back to a few stubs really, accidental or not... We'll see later on. The cuttings from the Shiraz were successful, and you can see the fuzzy buds starting to erupt. On the Pinot cuttings, well, I think only a couple will survive the spring bud season.

Preparations

Separated out the older vines into the side yard for this years growth in order to avoid any contamination by the mildews again. After last years pitiful outcome, I want this year to be anything but pitiful! The "younger" ones I will leave in the backyard, and two year old cuttings will be transplanted into the final growing pots.

Last years inherited shiraz vines from friend Harry that survived last season that were not in the final growing pots were also transplanted this last week. [my baacckk...].

Shiraz

2 yr old Shiraz

Younger Shiraz

Pinot Noir

Shiraz Cuttings Winter 2011

Stock as of End of July 2012

1. 6 planted Shiraz- 10kg
2. 33 potted Shiraz- 10kg
3. 6 baby Shiraz- 2kg
4. 20 potential Shiraz Cuttings
5. 9 Pinot Noir- 3kg
6. 6 baby Pinots- 1kg
7. 2 to 4 potential Pinot cuttings
8. garage Foxey Grapes- 20-30kgs

At End of Winter or early September

I intend to transplant the baby potted vines into the final, bigger pots as I did with the adopted Shiraz vines the other week. 

Weather and back...

I will really have to think about spacing this year. At least a mowers width between them this time or more?