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When it comes to grapevines there are three important things. Planting, pruning and picking. All three involve lots of hard repetitive work – the latter is possibly the better of the three - maybe because it truly involves reaping the fruits of your labour.
Our first vineyard, which we sold when the restaurant became very busy, was on a beautiful property here in Gundaroo. I will never forget when we planted it – actually I think my back still twinges on the odd occasion.
The vineyard site pegged out ready for ripping
We chose a beautiful site for our vines – a northern slope protected to the west by a big hill. It was exciting getting organized to plant. The site was prepared well in advance. We ordered 3,500 Geisenheim riesling rootlings and with some space for about 500 extra vines, we took what the nursery had available, pinot gris.
The dozer rips the vine rows
When we were ready for planting we invited family and friends down to the farm for a long weekend to help. Now be warned – if any friend calls you up and asks for help to plant their vineyard – make any excuse you can to avoid it at all costs.
Even using a water gun to assist with planting, the repetitive bending down to shove a dormant rootling in the ground was back breaking.
Then came the vine guards. Oh my goodness! Did anyone really think of the time requirement in clipping up 4000 vine guards? It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. (except child birth). Vine guards are made of a core flute like plastic. The weather was cold and my hands were chaffed and bleeding from doing these suckers up. There was only one way to manage the job – it kind of sorted itself out actually. Every night after the backbreaking work we would sit around a bonfire – drink large quantities of wine to numb the pain in the fingers and clip up vine guards. Work cover would have had a fit - I have memories of my family members; my brother and father in – law turning into merry fools – stumbling around the fire – laughing and sword fighting and hitting each other over the heads with vine guards.
After the vineyard was planted, every muscle in my body ached. My poor brother drove back to Sydney after three days of hard labour and phoned me from his car when he got home. “I can’t get out of the car” – was his feeble plea.
So think carefully about those romantic notions of helping plant a vineyard. Oh and when my fingers regain their strength, remind me to tell you about pruning…
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As a foot note to this article; This vineyard was sold in early 2004 to Ruth and Steve Lambert (Lambert Vineyards). We now purchase fruit from them to make our gold medal winning "The Whip" riesling.
-- Jennie (August 7, 2010) ”