Hello from the vineyard!
We’ve just wrapped up our very first harvest and we’re equal parts exhausted, exhilarated, and, frankly, a little relieved!
We bought the vineyard just after last year’s harvest, so this was our first real year in charge. “Steep learning curve” doesn’t quite cover it; more of a vertical cliff with grapes at the top. Luckily, the brilliant team at Vinescapes (and particularly the unflappable Cameron Roucher) have been guiding us through with endless patience.
Meanwhile, our new winemaker James Snowden moved into the winery and, with only weeks to kit out the place before the grapes ripened, it became a race against nature to get the press, sorting line, de-stemmer and other equipment fully functional in time. There were moments of mild panic, but somehow, everything arrived, (almost) everything worked, and the grapes came in.
Our first pick - the Pinot Noir Precoce - came early thanks to a long, hot summer. Friends and family descended from London and the South East on a rainy September morning armed with enthusiasm and questionable footwear. Together, and under the watchful eye of Joel Jorgensen of Vinescapes, we brought in just over a tonne of fruit.
Spirits were high as we pressed the grapes in the winery on the same day, but we had a slight hiccup when we drained our solar batteries and James, enthusiastically assisted by John and Ian Ackerley, had to finish the job by torchlight! Those that stayed after the pick enjoyed helping with the sorting and destemming of the grapes and then we stomped some of the grapes bare foot in the traditional manner (great fun!) which has imparted a great colour to what will be a still rosé.
Following that there was a whirlwind of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier – more of which in a future newsletter.
So, what have we learnt from our first harvest? Surprisingly, it’s not that different from managing an M&A deal! It takes hard work and a lot of planning. The starts are early. There are lots of moving parts that need to be managed and communication is key. Things can change quickly at the last minute. No matter how carefully you prepare estimates of the quantities of fruit you are going to harvest, you never know exactly how much you are going to get for each variety until its picked. Having a sense of humour is critical – something we found out when we realised at 6am one morning an hour before the pickers were due to arrive, that the night before we had accidentally sent away the specialist grape picking crates (Dolavs) needed for that day’s pick (now known in the Arun Valley Vineyard lexicon as “Dolav-Gate”). We needed to be able to laugh it off and find a solution, which we did and the pick went very smoothly.
We also learnt a lot about our Romanian pickers taste in cake, as we made a different sort of cake for them for each pick – Chocolate Brownies were a clear favourite followed by Aunt Edna’s fruit slices, judging by how little remained at the end of the day.
But more than that, the real highlight was the people. From the Vinescapes team who kept everything on track, to James (who somehow pressed grapes in the dark without losing his sense of humour), our cheerful pickers who showed up rain or shine, and Ian Ackerley for capturing so many fantastic photos, (which you can see more of on our Instagram), getting to and through this first harvest was a true collaboration.
Now, as the wines begin their quiet transformation in barrel and tank, we get to take a breath and start looking forward. We can’t wait to share these wines with you in the not-too-distant future - each bottle full of positivity and care.
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With best wishes,
Nicola & John
