Harvest 2012 is coming!

We are generally a bit slow on the uptake here in Elgin, well at least as far as harvesting goes! The generally cooler weather means our vineyards take a little longer to ripen their crop, which is not a bad thing as it gives the grapes a chance for their flavours to develop before the sugar (and consequently alcohols go through the roof).

I have just started sampling our earliest ripening variety, Pinot Noir and the second variety, Chardonnay, is coming along nicely.

The bulk of these two blocks will be sold off for sparkling wine, which is always harvested fairly green so it won't be long now before the team moves in!

I have been asked to contribute to Good Taste's guest blogger section so over the next few weeks I will be updating it regularly (at least twice a week) with my news and harvest antics.

As soon as it is up, I'll post the link here.

Cheers

Sean

Rain on the way?

Those threatening clouds are back, but it's still sunny down in our end of the valley. On average we get one third of the rain that falls on the Steenbras Dam side (that is the part that is dark grey in the picture).

Open Gardens and Sheena Ridley

For the first time South Hill's magnificent gardens will officially be participating in the annual Open Gardens weekends here in Elgin! If our contemporary indigenous gardens, great wine and fantastic food aren't enough to tempt you to come and visit, we are also thrilled to announce that renowned artist, and former local of the valley, Sheena Ridley will be hosting her exhibition of paintings and sculptures at South Hill, this year from tomorrow the 28th October until Sunday the 6th of November.

Photographs hardly do these whimsical sculptures justice, so come and visit either this weekend or next.

Spring Has Definitely Sprung!

Wow, in the fury of getting the vineyards pruned before budding our blog has been somewhat neglected, but hopefully the new life that we see all around us will be reflected here too! What a spectacular season spring is, so much so that words and even pictures can barely do it justice, but I'll give the latter a go.

But there really is no substitute for actually visiting, so why not joining us for the open gardens on the 28-29th Oct or the 5-6th November?

Winter Solstice

It was a bitterly cold start to the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, here in Elgin. The shortest night has also been the coldest with the first frost of 2011 but the sun is out and whilst the forecast of 26 degrees seems a little bullish, it is warming up nicely!