The training system designed for maximum leaf and fruit exposure

The philosophy behind all management procedures is to be as organic as possible and to give each vine shoot and its fifteen to twenty leaves as much sunshine as we can. Our vine spacing and elaborate trellising is designed with this in mind, rather than the dictates of machine harvesting. Because each shoot has space, it is not difficult to find the fruit at picking time. Because the shoot has space, the berries are exposed to the sun, green grapes get suitably golden and the reds, thoroughly red. Because the pruning regime is hard, shoots are fewer and bunches larger. This makes hand picking easier. A hand picked bunch is easy to chill in a cool room prior to processing. Chilled grapes will not support rapid bacterial and yeast growth during processing which in turn reduces or eliminates the need for additives like sulphur dioxide.

Soil
The model we think of is that of a forest floor, where mulch accumulates to keep the soil cool and hospitable for plant roots and plenty of organic materials keep the soil organisms busy. Cultivation is rare, unless we wish to change the species of grasses growing within the rows in autumn. Rather than herbiciding the grasses within the row and between the vines, we prefer to allow them to seed, then mow, leaving protective mulch and plenty of seed for regeneration. There is competition between mid row grasses and the vines for moisture early in the season, but we think that a smaller vine is better maintained over the summer months. In the long run, a conservative approach to herbicides will be better for the soil and vine productivity.

The art of tying down

Fungus Control
The open environment enjoyed by each shoot is our most important insurance against fungal growth that thrives on shade and congestion. We must spray however against powdery and downy mildews and for these diseases the chemicals used are fortunately low in toxicity. These are elemental sulphur and copper oxychloride.

Pest Control
The organic approach favours intervention only as a last resort. Pest barriers and predators are favoured rather than poisoning that wipes out some species and allows others to explode in numbers, where they can be as much of a problem as the original insect. Ducks and fowl consume snails and grasshoppers. The best approach we have yet discovered for the Garden Weevil, which can defoliate and even kill mature vines, is a sticky, oily barrier on the trunk, or impregnated in sawdust at ground level, particularly necessary around young vines. Kangaroos demand fencing. Birds require netting, a labour intensive activity that we have refined after years of practice.