April
Stephen Doyle
Cool and calm. Rain = 48 mm. Temp = 13.6 degrees C.
Sleep continues to be something you dream about.
Autumn has arrived with the whole vineyard rapidly changing into the golds and reds of Tuscany. This is the quality month for Cabernet and Riesling.
If it gets too cool too early in April, the Cabernet and Riesling will creep towards ripeness with ever more hesitant steps. If we miss the seasonal cold outbreak, then by the end of the third week, all the fruit will be picked and safely on its way to becoming wine.
If the weather remains dry, immediately after each vineyard is harvested we give it a good irrigation to encourage the normal autumn flush of root growth and to give the vine the energy to draw the carbohydrates of its remaining leaves back into its root and trunk structure. It's also a way of saying thank you to each vine for doing its best for us throughout the season and to chlorinate the irrigation lines before the winter shut down.
If the vintage has been safe and successful, it's a time for celebration..if it has been disaster, then it is time to immediately take the next step.
And in the very best years here at Bloodwood, if you look very closely towards the close of day, you can almost imagine the angels of the vineyard  floating above the autumnal canopy. Rich reward indeed.
