Notes from the Vineyard - June 2026

After a remarkably dry spring, June began with a welcome change in the weather. Around four inches of rain fell during the first week alone, with approximately six inches recorded over the course of the month. As temperatures climbed and rainfall all but disappeared during the final fortnight, we began watering the young vines using our tractor and water bowser to help them through the increasingly hot conditions. While time-consuming, it's all part of establishing a healthy vineyard during its early years.

Growth across the vineyard has been exceptional. Throughout June we continued the careful process of bud rubbing and tying in the new shoots, helping to guide the vines as they establish their framework for the years ahead. The vineyard has remained healthy throughout the month, and it has been encouraging to see such strong, even growth across the different varieties.

One of the reasons we selected PIWI grape varieties is their natural resistance to many of the diseases that traditionally affect vineyards in cooler climates. This means they can often be grown with little or no need for routine chemical sprays, allowing us to take a lower-intervention approach to managing the vineyard while producing healthy fruit.

June also saw us welcome Doug to the team. With more than thirty years' experience in orchard management, he has already made a tremendous contribution, carrying out light summer pruning across the 800-plus young apple trees planted over the past four winters. The orchards continue to establish well, and with the vast majority of trees thriving, we're excited by the prospect of increasingly abundant harvests in the years ahead.

Our feathered workforce has also continued to grow. The goslings and ducklings hatched earlier in the spring have developed quickly, with most joining the main free-ranging flock by the end of the month. Their arrival couldn't have been better timed, helping to keep grass growth under control following the early summer rain. As the exceptionally hot weather arrived during the final week of June, grass growth naturally began to slow once again.

Looking across the vineyard and orchard at the end of the month, it's difficult not to feel optimistic. The vines are flourishing, the orchards are developing well, and every week brings another reminder that the years of planning and planting are steadily beginning to bear fruit.