NEW LOOK

For several years now we have wanted to finish off our bottles with a stylish, embossed capsule that features the Squitchy Lane crest. Well, we have finally done it--pictured above is a top view of the 2010 Squitchy Lane Chardonnay, bottled yesterday (25 February 2011).
All subsequent bottlings of Squitchy Lane wines will feature this capsule.
The Chardonnay itself probably has more intense fruit lift than any since 2006. It's a great mix of citrus, pineapple, melon and peach with a touch of nectarine. The oak blends nicely into the middle of the palate. Release date is likely to be 6-9 months away.

HARVEST IS APPROACHING

The rain has gone, the sun has been shining (albeit half-heartedly) and a steady breeze has been blowing for the past few days--just the right conditions to ripen our precious crop.
We have netted the vineyard to keep birds away from the grapes. This may seem heartless but these birds can do enormous damage. Look at the photo below to see what can happen.

This shot was taken at the end of a row, where the birds begin their attack. A flock of silvereyes or starlings can strip the fruit from a bunch much more quickly than you can load a shotgun to scare them off. We find nets work better.

Now that the birds are under control, we just need to keep the diseases at bay. Fortunately, our vineyard team have done a great job under the most threatening conditions we have seen for many years. Downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis are our biggest fears and the incredible rainfall so far this season has placed enormous pressure on vineyards throughout eastern Australia.
We can report no botrytis, no downy mildew and only a small amount of powdery mildew that we have managed to subdue so that it is no longer a threat. Two or three weeks of warm dry weather and we will be very happy. 
Crop thinning and leaf plucking have been mandatory this year to thin out the bunches, reducing clumping where humidity increase can allow diseases to enter and to open up the canopy to air flow. Pictured below is a good example of what we have achieved--a narrow band of canopy where humidity is low and air movement is encouraged plus bunches separate and not deeply buried inside the canopy. If the weather holds, we reckon this could be a great year for Pinot Noir.

By the way, the sugar levels we measured today are:
Pinot Noir--10.2 baume
Chardonnay--9.1 baume
We expect to harvest when levels are between 12.0 and 13.0. That's probably 3 weeks away.
I will keep you posted.

DISEASE PRESSURE

I have re-printed below an extract from Wikipedia which I think unintentionally sums up our attitude at the moment. This season has the highest disease pressure that I have experienced in the Yarra Valley, not to mention other areas of Victoria where it has actually rained a lot--Mildura, King Valley, Strahbogie Ranges to name a few. We have weathered the mildew storm--see attached photograph of downy mildew on a leaf--but now we are entering the danger zone for botrytis infection.

"Botryotinia fuckeliana is a plant pathogen, and the causal agent of gray mold disease.

The species epithet was named by mycologist Heinrich Anton de Bary in honor of another mycologist, Karl Wilhelm Gottlieb Leopold Fuckel.

This species is better known as its anamorph, Botrytis cinerea."

Botrytis can ruin a crop almost overnight. I have added some photographs to show you what it looks like--you will probably be familiar with the strawberry one as I am sure you have found it lurking in a punnet you have forgotten about at the back of the fridge. It's a really nasty problem for strawberry growers as well as us grapegrowers. The weather remains humid and the forecast is for a week of showery conditions.

 If botrytis takes hold, we will harvest as quickly as possible in order to prevent its spread and minimise the damage to fruit quality. There are a few winemaking tricks we can use, but we'd rather not have to face the problem.
By the way, the 2010 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay will be bottled next week. For the first time, we have a reasonable volume of Pinot Noir, so for those of you with fond memories of the 2008, you are in luck. I think this new wine is "better" than the '08 (and I use the inverted commas to emphasise that it is my opinion) although I have a feeling that nostalgia may win the day. In any case, it's a lovely wine with a rare depth and softness.
The Chardonnay also has great depth and richness.
Release dates are not yet certain but we will give them the necessary time to show their best before showing them to you.

UBC research takes the headache out of red wine with new yeast strain

UBC research takes the headache out of red wine with new yeast strain
This article is worth reading. I have heard many people complain about the headaches they get when drinking red wine. Of course, as one earnest scientific study declared after exhaustive research into this topic, red wine headache is often dose-related (in other words, the more you drink, the worse will be your headache).
Nothing like stating the bleedin' obvious but unfortunately some unlucky drinkers get headaches after even small amounts of red wine. It seems this is probably caused by toxic amines found in wines, particularly red wines that undergo malo-lactic fermentation. 
It is unlikely that this yeast will be approved for use in Australia due to its genetic modification but it could possibly bring relief (and pleasure) to those who love red wine but can't drink it. 

BOUZY ROUGE

Here at Squitchy Lane, we like going out to restaurants. A lot. We especially like going out to restaurants whose wine lists feature our wines.
One of these is Bouzy Rouge in Bridge Rd, Richmond. You can check out their website here:
www.bouzyrouge.com.au

One of the entrees at Bouzy Rouge

This is a great restaurant to go to with a few people so you can indulge in their banquet menu. I won't spoil the fun here but look at the website to get an idea of what to expect.
And while you are there say hello to Jose the owner and enjoy some Squitchy Lane Cabernet Sauvignon with the 12-hour slow cooked whole leg of lamb.
Bon appetit!