Many wine growers across the North East are still to begin harvest but those picking are reporting all signs point to an exceptional 2017 vintage.
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Growers have also welcomed a drop in humidity which has helped maintain fruit quality at the key development stages.
“We were all a bit concerned with the humidity that was experienced over the recent growing season but, really, the past couple of weeks have been splendid,” wine maker Damien Cofield, Cofield Wines Wahgunyah, said.
“The cooler days last week were fantastic and the cooler nights are really making life easy from a ripening point of view but also a workability point of view.”
The cool nights help drop the fruit temperature making refrigeration faster and more efficient at the start if the winemaking process which also contributes to wine freshness.
High acidity is delivering crisp, well-rounded fruit and the lateness of harvest has helped with early flavour development.
The early onset of flavour and high acidity are the hallmarks of the 2017 vintage.
“So far, from what we’ve seen, it looks like were able to get good flavour out, the earlier ripeness will mean we will have lower alcohol levels to contend with this year,” Mr Cofield said.
“Definitely crispness is a hallmark of this vintage due to the higher acidity levels that we’re noticing so far … probably a little bit higher that what we had expected.
“Because of the lateness of the season, there’s a lot of people who haven’t started picking yet, not just in Rutherglen but in North East Victoria, and it’s the 24th of February.”
King Valley vines are still at least a week away from picking.
“It’s shaping up well, it’s just taking a long time to get there,” Brown Brothers wine maker Katherine Brown said.
“We’re going to see some really good fruit coming off the vines this year, with some really nice flavour.
“If we keep having these nice, 32-33 degree days and no rain, the Pinot Noir Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio at Myhree is going to be perfect in about 10 days or so.
Brown Brothers are processing grapes from the Yarra Valley but Ms Brown expected to begin picking fruit for sparkling varieties by Thursday or Friday if the weather remained favourable.
“And then we’ll start picking our first Prosecco probably late the week after, so the Prosecco is definitely another two weeks away,” she said.
