Month

Making in the Cellars

Vineyards, Orchards, Olive Grove and Garden

Around the property: Weather and  Seasonal Fauna

January (Summer)

Preparation for wine vintage, First Pressing Agraz and Verjus. Preserving summer fruit.

Riesling Veraison; colour in the berries; Olive Trees fruiting; Mulberries ripen; Peach harvest. Herbs, Tomatoes, Chillies.

Hot with easterly winds. Parrots, especially Rosellas; Swallows are swarming; Ibis flocks arrive, gum trees flowering.

February (Summer)

Late Pressing Verjus;
Crushing and fermenting Riesling; first Apple Cider

Baume Testing reds; Harvest Riesling; First Quinces, Apples, and Lemons. Nectarines ripen. Chives, Strawberries.

More kangaroos arrive to join the resident ‘roos; Ibis gather; Harvest Lillies flower.

March (Autumn)

Crushing and fermenting Reds, Rose and Viognier. Plunging caps. Pressing, Reds into barrels. Quince Paste, Jelly & Poaching.  Figs Dried and Jam.

Harvest Shiraz; Viognier; Cabernet Savignon. Mulberries end of season.
Almond harvest begins. Figs & Quinces ripen. Tomatoes.

Herons grazing amongst the vines. Warm days and cool nights.

April (Autumn)

Pressing reds malolactic Fermentation racking; Pressing Olives for Oil, Pickle Green Olives. Preserving Tomatoes - relish, sauces, dried.  Fig Jam.  Almond paste.

Late pick parcels of Cabernet. Early Apples & late grapes.  Almonds, Walnuts & Olive harvest  Old Fig Trees ripen - second crop harvest. Beans & Leeks starting, still Tomatoes & Peppers.  Mushroom harvest from under the Old Gums.

Galahs arrive. Warm days and crisp nights.

May (Autumn)

 Racking Wine after malolactic fermentation
Cider making, Apple Jelly. Pressing Oil continues.

Pruning Vines. Olive Harvest continues.
Apple harvest. 
Lemons and
Grapefruit ripen. Plant Wheat

Black Ducks and Wood Ducks gather. Rain season opens. Open Fires.

June (Winter)

Racking Reds
Apple Cider Making; Pickle Black Olives. Pickle Lemons, pressing late harvest oil.  Relishes.

Pruning Vines. Pick Oranges,
Lemons,
Grapefruit.
Continue Apple harvest.

Ibis migratory preparation; Green Parrots gather; Pardalots arrive; winter creek flows.

July (Winter)

Orange preserves.

Pruning Vines. Almond Blossom.
Orange harvest continue.

Rain.  Jonquils flower. Frogs active.

August (Winter)

Sterile Filtering,
Bottling, Labelling wines.  Pickling Limes and Lemons.

Pruning Vines, Almond Blossom continues. Chickens back on the lay.

More Wood Ducks arrive; Herons nesting in old gums; Kangaroos joeys grown up and moving on; daffodils and white lilly bloom.

September (Spring)

Pickling Lemons, Candied Citrus. Spring Milk Cheese-making

Budburst in the Vineyard. First Asparagus. Pears, Quinces and Apples flowering.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos settle in. Pardalots increase.  Herons seen with young. Sunny days.

October (Spring)

Blending & bottling Red Wines; Make Relishes; Spring Milk Cheese-making

Vines Flowering.  Loquats ripe.

Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos visit; Yabbies harvest from the dam.

November (Spring)

Stone Fruit Chutney and Bottling

Vines Flowering and Berry Set. Figs, Mulberries begin to ripen; Reap Wheat.

Wattle birds gathering. Rain in good years!

December (Summer)

Jam making, Milling Wheat Bread Making.

Berries pea size on the Vines. Mulberry Harvest; Olives Fruit Set, Peaches and Nectarines ripe.

Eastern Rosellas and Adelaide Rosellas arrive. Hot and dry.