Kieran our vineyard manager is an absolute gem and lights the fire in the cellar door every morning. It takes a while for it to warm the room, but for guests the sight of smoke wisping from the chimney is a welcoming sight, and they all seem to gravitate towards it to defrost upon arrival. We have a safety screen, not for children, but for the adults who want to park their bottoms on it!
The vines are asleep, waiting for their haircuts in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, Kieran is waiting for the rest of our red wines to complete ‘malo’ (malolactic fermentation) – the Merlot is finished and looking great. Our 2010 Verdelho is showing great promise, and will be ready for bottling shortly. There was some crazy weather around last vintage, but in our little pocket here at Mt Stirling, we managed to escape the worst of it. (A few leaves lost to frost, that’s all) So 2010 is looking like a wonderful year.
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