Vineyard in April
Winery in heavy rain Usually sometime in the middle of the vintage the autumn break arrives. Winery in heavy rain

The autumn break is the first rain to break the summer warm and dry weather.

It can be spectacular.

run-off from heavy rain  
run-off The grapes take up water through their skin and become watery, as the high sugar content gives them a negative osmotic pressure.
run-off
Only time and a good vineyard site with well-draining soil can repair the damage. windmill in fog But now it is autumn. It is cooler, the sun is lower in the sky and shadows fall. Grape development is now much slower, but well worth waiting for.
taking bird nets off The king of the grapes, Caberent Sauvignon ripens now. taking bird nets off
Picking goes on... taking bird nets off taking bird nets off
picking grapes picking grapes picking grapes
picking grapes By now our pickers are fast and accurate. picking grapes
picking grapes picking grapes full grape picking buckets
bbq tables

And then, quite suddenly, all the grapes are gone.

And then the pickers are gone, too...

It is hard to believe that another vintage is over. dirty dishes dirty dishes
grape pickers
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