If I am to be very honest I have to admit to delaying in putting up this post.
You see the year is well and truly up. A year of documenting a most beautiful vineyard, in the most glorious setting. Of getting to know Richard, Kath and Charlotte and Bob. Of drinking more than my fair share of pinot noir.
It has been an absolute privilege to be able to take photographs and to write about Mayfield.
Thank you Richard, Kath and Charlotte.
See you soon!
By great good fortune, and not by design, I arrive at the vineyard to be told by Charlotte that it is the final day of harvest and that if I race up to the back of the vineyard I will be able to see the harvester in action. Not only did I see that, but I was able to ride on top of it, thus giving me an opportunity to capture the vineyards in all their autumn glory.
I was then able to wander around the vineyard as the sun set, transforming already rich colours into something more vivid...
That evening I was privileged to be able to taste potential blends for the 2009 vintage pinot noir. All I can say is that I think that it will be even better than the 2008 vintage - of which I have drunk more than my fair share! I am fascinated by the influence of the eucalyptus trees which grow near the pinot grapes and interested to see how blending softens the menthol without totally eliminating the grapes' Australian terroir.
Richard and Kathy are happy with the results of this year's harvest. 275 tons of grapes have been successfully harvested and by keeping up the water over the summer to the grapes, the vineyard was not affected too adversely by the late summer rains.
The next morning I am up early to wander around as the last of the mist curls around the vineyard.
I am aware that my year is almost up and am intent on savouring each visit left to me...
It's a difficult business, the grape growing business. Vineyards are so easily susceptible to weather conditions, including the horrendous drought conditions farmers have faced for the last ten years. Or there is a glut so that profits are marginal at best.
At Mayfield the recent big rains have meant that it was all hands on deck to pick the pinot grapes when I visited. Botritis was already affecting some of the crop and heavy overnight dews meant more botritis could thrive. The race was on to pick the pinot before it could be too badly affected. That afternoon I got there too late for the actual picking but was able to capture the moment the next morning, accompanied by the steady murmur of the French pickers.
And despite the difficulties faced by all vineyards, there is no denying the extraordinary beauty of this place, both as dusk draws in .....
It has been two months since I was last at Mayfield and in that time the vines have grown strongly and beautifully. The little seed bunches that I saw last time are now maturing and are a vibrant mix of black-blue and green grapes.
Walking around the vineyard I am stunned at how verdant and lush it is looking. A trail of dust announces Dennis' arrival as he pulls up in the ute for a quick yarn. The green is the result of careful watering he tells me, and water supplies are being used as sparingly as possible. The rainfall that other districts are enjoying is not being replicated here and they would like to some of that rain themselves.
Charlotte tells me that handpicking of the riesling grapes should start later in the month or in early March.
The skies are filled with threatening deep grey clouds.
Unfortunately a threat, and not rain, is all they contain.
Driving to Icely Road today was a bit disconcerting. Bad weather - heavy rain and hail - and cold conditions dogged me. Until I got to the vineyard - and then the weather softened and was even warm. The threat of thunderstorm was never far away but it was easy to take a walk around the vineyard.
In a month the difference is startling, again. The grape vines are romping along their supports and the tiny buds of new grapes are easily seen. There is a sense of waiting now, tending the vines and ensuring that they remain in good health for a bumper season.
Richard tells me that bad weather is forecast for December. This could be disastrous for the grapes and it is perhaps why my eyes go frequently to the well grooved tracks around the vineyard. For this must be an anxious time - and I am sure those tracks are extremely well trodden at the moment.
Green!
The lush green of the vineyard is stunning. Threatening clouds only served to accentuate the colour of the vines and the mown grass and the rolling hills around the property. When last here at Mayfield the countryside had been brown and dry.
There is a wonderful, symmetrical beauty about the vineyard right now. Tender young leaves adorn the vines, which curl and twist around the trellises. The grass has been mown between the vines so that air can circulate freely around them.
Bud burst has already occurred of course and the vines are being carefully monitored as they get ready for their "grand period of growth."
Predicted thunderstorms meant that Matt was busy on the tractor spraying the vines to prevent powdery mildew developing. Should 10mm of rain fall in a 24 hour period when the temperature is greater that 10 degrees celcius, there is a risk of this form of mildew forming, particularly at this vulnerable stage of the vines' growth.
A wander around the lake, a visit with one of the retrievers, who gazed at me inquisitively, and a quick photo of Kathy's red boots and my tour of the vineyard was over!
My visits to Mayfield will be more frequent now as work in the vineyard intensifies over the coming months.
Part OneToday I wanted to see the pruners in action. The vineyard employs a team of Cambodian and Thai pruners, who work hard to get the vineyards in order and to ensure a maximum bounty of grapes.It was also an opportunity to meet two of the people integral to the character of this vineyard.I walked up the hillside to talk to Matt, the young foreman. He shows me how he is pruning the sauvignon blanc vines back to four canes and how he chooses what can be safely cut and what should stay.
I leave Matt to his work and walk across the vineyards to where the Thais and Cambodians are diligently pruning. They cheerfully pose for me and nod and smile as I walk on.
A young Thai stops working to talk to me briefly. He lives in Carcoar and saves his money to send to Thailand, where he dreams of owning a mango farm one day. He takes off a glove and shows me his blistered hand.
Kathy and Richard had mentioned Terry, the vineyard manager, to me on a number of occasions. I saw his ute parked close to where Matt was working and went up to meet him.Terry is a happy man. He has a grin that spreads from ear to ear.
"How did you lose your teeth Terry?" I ask, curiously."Fighting with me brother!" he replies. "I haven't spoken to him since I was 22 years old.""Where do you live?""Orange" Terry responds."Where does he live?""The other side of Orange," says Terry and roars with laughter.
Terry drove trucks for many years and got fed up with it. When he sought work from Mission Employment they mentioned a six week contract at Mayfield.Ten years later he is still here."Have you tried the new Pinot Noir?" I asked."Nah mate," he responded laconically. "I don't drink. All those people spending two hundred bucks a night on booze and the pokies when I can go out bush with my gun, have a cup of tea and a vegemite sandwich and wait for a yowie to turn up! All for nothing!"I leave Matt and Terry, content in the knowledge that I will be seeing them regularly during the course of this next year.
