Coonawarra wine producer George Kidman prepares for vintage 2018

Mr Kidman runs Kidman Wines along with his father Sid. The winery is operated as part of a mixed farming enterprise at Limestone Ridge Estate – a 567-hectare property at Coonawarra. 

They also run 2500 Merino ewes, breed their own first-cross ewes, produce prime lambs and run 60 black baldies on the property.

The cellar door is housed in the property’s old stables, which were built in 1859.

Sid and his father Ken planted the first vines at the property in 1971. 

Today, the vineyard covers 18ha and includes cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, sauvignon blanc and riesling grapes. The youngest vines are 20 years old.

The vines are planted on elevated loam soils.

George described the 2017 vintage as “excellent”.

“The yield was really good; it was the best yield we have had in a number of years,” he said.

“We had a couple of rain events during vintage, but the wine produced was really high quality.”

George said the rain events during picking meant it was not completed until Anzac Day. But compared to his neighbours, his property was early. 

“Picking in Coonawarra went into May,” he said. 

George is at the beginning of work for vintage 2018. 

He said pruning would be completed by the end of winter, but most work would not start until budburst in September. 

“It is time to take stock and relax for a bit,” he said.

“We will not slash the vineyard as we run sheep through it.”

The property received a lot of rain in April and May, which lead to good grass growth.

All vines will be pruned to a two-bud spur. Bud dissections indicate a high-yielding year should be expected in 2018. 

“The bud fruitfulness is slightly above average,” he said. 

The property received 800 millimetres of rain last year, the wettest since 1992. The property’s average annual rainfall is 600mm. 

George will be hoping for a couple of good finishing rains in the spring.

He hopes there will not be much waterlogging, particularly with the South East’s aquifer being full.

“We were really thankful for the abnormally dry June, in which we only had 20mm of rain for the month,” he said.

Limestone Coast Grape & Wine Council executive officer Ulrich Grey-Smith said vintage for 2017 finished in May.

“Presently vineyards are dormant, being pruned and are being prepared for budburst in spring,” he said. 

“Chardonnay, cabernet and shiraz are high-value crops with vines of pedigree and sought-after grapes.  Quality, rather than yield, are required from our region.”

Mr Grey-Smith said the grape and wine sector had good support regarding disease and other issues from levy-based organisations, such as the Australian Wine Research Institute. A snail and earwig mitigation workshop will be held in the region soon.

He said frost was always an issue in spring and early summer.