On the Home Run

We are down to the last 13 rows of pruning. Progress has been steady and I'm glad we are on track to finish in the next week of so, The unseasonally warm weather the past week is a reminder that every year is different and it's good to be prepared for the unexpected.
Rain, sunshine, frost (?) heat; who knows what the coming season will bring? Hopes are high as usual. The vines seem in good shape considering the disasterous mildew problems of the 2010/2011 season. Lots of good canes and buds to choose from.
A neighbour Joe, has just brought a small property in Heathcote. He is a member of the Etham Amateur Winemakers and wanted to plant a small vineyard (200 vines) , enough to make a barrel or so for the family. So Joe came over on Saturday and we took some cuttings for him to propagate.
The weekend also saw me rack off the wine. The cool weather was a good opportunity to move the wine around. Racking off removes the sediment. I also took the opportunity to adjust the pH and sulphur levels. So far so good. Tastes good, nice colour, tannins; we may salvage something from a bad season yet.