A wet winter and a cool spring has the South East well placed for a strong wine vintage – albeit a little later than previous years.
About a month out from the 2017 vintage, Coonawarra growers are predicting a strong harvest in terms of quality and quantity.
DiGiorgio Family Wines principal Frank DiGiorgio said they were on-track for a good season, providing the region did not get inundated with rains across the remainder of summer.
“The vines look extremely healthy; everything looks good at this stage” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of rain, even during the growing season.
“Yields will mostly be about average, and above average in some varieties.”
Nationally, this year was Australia’s second-wettest winter on record, with rainfall 82 per cent above average for the season.
As a result, the DiGiorgios did not require the use of their water pumps until well into December, a task usually undertaken in late August or early September.
“It’s been fantastic to have that long winter and spring to set us up for a good season,” Mr Digiorgio said.
“There’s been very little need for irrigation this year, we’ve had a few warmer days but nothing too bad.
“It’s nice to see our water tables replenished, especially in the lead up to bud-burst.”
When this year’s vintage finally does get under way, it is anticipated vines on the DiGiorgio Family Wines’ property will be picked across six to eight weeks.
Mr DiGiorgio said they were still about a month away from starting.
“Unseasonably, we haven’t seen a veraison yet in any varieties, usually we see this in the first week of January in our pinot and chardonnay,” he said.
“We are a good three weeks behind, which will see us harvesting well into April and early May.”
SA produced 51pc of the nation’s crush in 2016 and about 75pc of Australia’s premium wine.
Weather shines on Coonawarra grapes
Preferred growing conditions for winemakers in the state’s South East have delivered a reduction in disease numbers and frost damage in vineyards this season.
DiGiorgio Family Wines principal Frank DiGiorgio, Coonawarra, said despite being behind schedule, the 2016-17 season looked healthy.
“We haven’t had the frost pressures we have had in previous years,” he said.
Last year, the winery irrigated about six times in an effort to avoid frost damage.
This year they have only turned the pumps on once as a precautionary measure, one which Mr DiGiorgio said was almost unnecessary.
Strong winds in December caused concern among some farmers, but most were lucky to emerge relatively unscathed.
In fact, it was a blessing in disguise for a majority of growers, he said.
“Because we had a lot of wind we haven’t had huge disease pressures,” Mr DiGiorgio said.
“Generally speaking, those that have had issues with disease haven’t been a huge amount.”
