Wine and Cows

A weekend visit to Gippsland to prepare the land for the pending delivery of chardonnay vines proved very interesting.

Firstly, I discovered that the few shiraz vines, planted only a couple of months ago, are now at “Bud Break” which means they have leaves and look much more like grape vines and much less like sticks in the ground. (See the photo above). For novices, like the JAM team, this is indeed very encouraging.

Secondly, a considerable amount of time was spent fencing off the area, as apparently there’ll be a cow on the property for the next week. Yes, a cow! The intention is that the cow will chew away some of the overgrown grass, then we can commence soil preparation. Generally one doesn’t mix vines with stock, but as the vineyard is in the middle of Gippsland dairy country, then I guess this makes some sort of sense. (Really we should be making cheese, not wine!) Needless to say, once the chardonnay vines are in the ground, we will be discouraging cattle and all other beasts.

Speaking of Gippsland, The JAM research team have been enjoying another gem from Gippsland’s Clair de Lune vineyard. The 2006 Clair de Lune Triolet is a smooth blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet, with hints of plum and spice. We enjoyed it with lasagne, but also found it incredibly drinkable on its own.
Written by Jo Broom (c)