The red harvest has officially kicked off, with some of our best Shiraz filling up the buckets under sunny skies.

Planted in 2008, the W4 vineyard is graced with low, well-balanced canopies producing consistent and pristine bunches. The 1995 plantings in U11 are lower yielding, but produce fruit with greater density, finer tannins and complex, ripe flavours.

With eagle eyes, nimble fingers and some motivational tunes to boot, the crew moved through the vines, carefully hand-picking and sorting each parcel of fruit, before sending it off to the press.

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It's been a hive of activity in the vineyard and winery as our white harvest continued apace during week two of harvest.

There were plenty of early-morning starts as the first Chenin Blanc grapes came off the vines and into the winery, destined for our Sparkling Chenin Blanc, swiftly followed by our zesty Sauvignon Blanc and some golden Semillon (Chief Winemaker, Tim Shand's favourite juice to drink fresh off the press!).

Vineyard Manager, Glen Ryan, was also keeping a close eye on our legacy block V9, to ensure the fruit bound for our MJW Cabernet Sauvignon is of exceptional quality again this year. A quick bit of leaf thinning and selective bunch trimming had the vines humming along nicely, in preparation for picking in a few weeks.

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We have officially welcomed a new season in our organic Kitchen Garden and with it, brand-new produce to feature on our BACCA menu.

The team have been on a mission to get their ducks in a row, focusing on low-maintenance produce that is slightly easier to grow, supported by a bit of rejuvenation and a goal to keep most of the bugs at bay. There was a moment where things were ticking along nicely, until they were greeted with heat waves and water woes, which have kept them very busy!

Snakes have come to visit, which is a little terrifying, though it's nice to know that they’re keeping guard, helping to scare away our small furry friends that like to eat the crops. Wasps have also been spotted flying about looking for a caterpillar snack. It has been incredible to witness organics in action, as they hide among the cabbages and carry off those pesky green bugs.

Planting started in December last year, a little later than usual, while the winter crops were drawing to a late close. Whilst the Belted Galloway cows (or 'belties' as they are affectionately known) enjoyed the remains of the brassicas, the team pondered what they would grow next.

An early heat wave delayed the decision-making and caused a reduction in soil moisture, however, this also meant that the purslane had a minute to grow! Purslane is a common 'weed' that produces an edible leafy, green vegetable. The team had differing opinions on what to do with it. It makes a great cover crop if you leave it in the ground, but it is also nutrient-dense, high in omega-3 and a great garnish, so definitely worth harvesting for dishes. Ultimately they opted to do both, and lucky too, as the purslane left in the ground proved helpful in the heatwaves, holding moisture in the soil. Not to mention, the belties like to have a little snack on it.

Along with the purslane, the team have planted all the usual summer suspects; cucumbers, pumpkins, rockmelons, zucchinis, corn and eggplants. A few different cucumber varieties have brought some different menu creations in the form of pickles and juices. A new dish of sardine, ajoblanco and cucumber has just landed on the menu paired with the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. What a match!

The zucchinis come in different sizes, making them especially good at hiding from the team on harvest days. Head Chef, Travis Crane, thinly slices them, rolls them with goat’s curd and serves them next to Arkady Lamb. Red cabbages are also going strong and are currently featured as the vegetarian version of our chicken course...you may see them on something new soon. Ivory eggplants are also cropping well and featured heavily on our vegetarian menu.

The Slim Jim eggplants are just starting to fruit and will go on the menu later this year alongside succulent local duck. Pumpkins and rockmelons are coming in thick and strong. It's looking like a potential 30 kg haul per week for the next little while but we're not counting our chickens (or our ducks!).

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It was all smiles this week as the team wrapped up another successful Chardonnay harvest under moody Margaret River skies.

Vintage ‘24 kicked off early and dry, with each day becoming a race to get the fruit in the bag before the summer heat set in. Fortunately, the team enjoyed some cooler mornings and nights towards the end of the pick, providing a welcome reprieve amidst the busyness of an action-packed week.

Judicious hand-picking and sorting in the winery have resulted in a slightly lower yield of Chardonnay fruit compared to last year, but the quality is looking exceptional. Stay tuned as Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc start to come off the vine very soon.

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A few highlights from our first hand-pick of Vintage '24, as our Crew got down to business in our certified organic Broadvale Block 11 Chardonnay vineyard late last week.

The slightly overcast skies couldn't dull the excitement in the air as the first ripe bunches hit the buckets and the team settled into the rhythm of a fresh harvest season. 

 

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