grapes are sprayed

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Chambourcin grapes from cuttings

How is it?

October 16th 2010. A sunny day.

Last month gathered up a few cuttings from the Chambourcin grapes.

Cuttings are done with an angled cut at the bottom, and a square cut at the top. This reminds me later which end the roots should come from. Each cutting has 4 nodes. So the length of the cuttings vary.

The bottom node is trimmed with a grafing knife, so it is flush with the stork. Then dipped into rooting hormone. The bottom node being cut flush helps the end form a callous. After this forms then come the roots. The callous swells that much that the end of the cutting splits in some cases and out come the roots.

Fine roots emerging from the split in the stork.

Rooted end placed into pb 5 bag. A small amount of potting mix is put into the bottom of the bag prior to inserting the cutting. The bag is then topped up and watered well. Placed in a shade and watered daily.

The video shows cuttings in the bucket and the roots developing.

Hare for dinner

How is it?

Hare shot in block 3. From standing position, hare out 45 metres. Clean.

On the tree stump out front, waiting to be skinned and dressed and jointed.

Midnight the cat thinks at last we have found her a friend!

Watchful eye from the cat.

Large Hare awaits prep.

In the pot and cooked for 3 hours. Had this with pasta. Tender and gamey . Nice one! Yumm.

15th October Merlot Vines

Merlot vines at Matakohe Wines.

Close up of newly forming grapes.

Looking good so far!

Starting to shoot up the wires. Cleared long grass away from vines last week.

Moira inspecting the future crop.

Note Sunflowers planted by the posts.

Will be interesting to see what these look like later in the season.

Prune well to get the shaped vines.

Good set prior to flowering. Have sprayed with copper 4 times so far this year. At 2 weekly intervals.

Strong south easterly winds this week have wind burnt many of the vine leafs, but bunches of grapes appear to be untouched, I hope.

Harvest 2009

Harvest time 2009

Merlot grapes at Matakohe Vineyard.

Merlot vines that show good bunch spread

Pheasant damage on the lower bunches

The chief picker is on the job. Go hard.

Hard not to smile at this time

Chrushing the fruit with a masher

Planting out last years cuttings

Up north in the Matakohe Vineyard

How is it?

Planted out another 2 rows of last years Chambourcin, so now we have eight rows of grapes.

Started by marking out the rows centre at 2300 from row seven. Transfered using the wheelbarrow the vines in PB5s, spaced these along the row, ensuring alignment spacing with row seven. Dig several holes then retired because of rain shower. Coffee time. Back out again and debagged, roots look good with a slight spreading necessary. Back filled and moved onto the next one. Several rain showers later the row is now finished. need to stake these this year and allow to grow as tall as possible.

So I need to now add poles, perhaps another Christmass job. Will try to add some photos to this posting at a later date. I did notice buds swelling on several of the older vines... what does this tell you?

Any bud pointing downwards is a bad bud. So I'll have to go through and rub these off! This is also true for any buds that are on the main trunk under the wire. They show, they get rubbed off.

I can see your'e trying to be early!!! Friday 20th August 2010. Don't you vines realise that it is still winter? Come to early and Jack Frost might nip you in the bud. He did this last year to great effect... don't you remember? Silly vines don't listen.

The drought is coming again? No only kidding... Has started to rain again... the dam is spilling. The lows in the vineyard aren't flooding like they did last year. Ground saturation point is close. While digging in the new vines some low lying areas are getting soggy very close to the surface.

Good soil down to about 200 mm then starting to go straight into sticky clay. No need to water the newly planted vines. The rain is doing this job for free for me today. Isn't working with nature a marvel. I need to smile more in the good times. Grass growth in the last week has really started to come on fast. Moira mentioned this last night and I must agree with her today.

Got a hail shower just before dark. Not a bad one but any hail is not good for new buds on our vines.

This years vintage

Vines prior to prunning

Grape type: Merlot new clone (347) on 420A Root Stock from Corbans. Same vine shown below after prunning. Have tried to limit to four leaders each side if main trunk. Have allowed these leaders to lift at least 100mm above main branch. This is in an attempt to allow the fruiting bunches to stay above the wire, This is because the birds, pheasant, have learnt a trick of jumping up and shaking off the fruit, the wire should stop them short. If not then perhaps some lead at close to the sound barrier might slow them down a touch?

A close up of the rear of our label. 2009 Matakohe Chambourcin.

Have a look at these works of art.