As I am writing, we are right in the middle of harvest. Although the drought has certainly affected the yield, the quality of the fruit harvested up to now has been very good. So far, we have picked Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Muscat de Frontignan, Grenache Blanc and Roussane. With regards to red cultivars, we have picked Pinotage for Rosé and for Bowwood, as well as one block of Merlot and one block of Shiraz. The next three weeks will see the rest of the Merlot and Shiraz being picked, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec. And finally, the last to be picked will be the Carignan, Mourvèdre and Grenache Noir.
When planning to plant a vineyard, it is essential that you have varieties that don’t ripen at the same time, but rather ripen at different times over the six to eight-week harvest period.
The cellar rats have settled in well and have been assisting Matthew and Emile in the cellar. They all came to my house for lunch last Sunday and were lucky enough to sit around the table with Albert Roux of Le Gavroche fame, who entertained us with amazing stories of who he had cooked for over the years, such as all the Royal family, Churchill, Mohammed Ali, Fidel Castro, Harold Wilson and his secretary, to name but a few.
Our cellar rats having fun
Albert Roux and my daughter, Shura
Mavis picking Muscat
