I know the weather seems to be the feature at the moment but, at this late stage in the grape growing season it is the only thing on everyones mind. The past few days we’ve seen some massive storm cells come through, and for some cruel twist of fate it seemed to be localised on the Mudgee Valley. When speaking to Simon Gilbert on Thursday afternoon i found out that Orange is in great shape and that none of the storms have travelled that way. So for those of you into your Orange wines, fingers crossed this could be a good year!

So Mudgee… Friday saw 4 sets of rain each one followed by intense heat and sunshine, no wind and then a slow build to the next rain storm. James said to me from inside the vat next to mine, “great weather for Botrytis” followed by a large hearty laugh. The laugh actually masks the great fear – “Will the fruit survive until harvest”

A quick chat around the bar on friday night suggested that despite the weather being up and down many of the growers and winemakers are in good shape. The whites look good and there are some stunning looking red fruits around the valley – “Those who have looked after their vineyards throughout the year are in good shape, those who set and forget will be less fortunate”. A tough but true statement from one of the guys around the bar.

So the long range forecast looks solid, at least for now. If the past weeks experiences have taught me one thing it is that the weather changes pretty quickly round here. I really do hope that the coming weeks see some sun and good ripening conditions.

I would imagine the stress of leaving your fate to Mother Nature would be immense. no one talks about it but you can see it in their eyes when the clouds roll in.

Tomorrow i will be out in the winery and i am going to do a lap around Mudgee and get some insights from different winemakers – There are a new generation of winemakers in Mudgee and i think it is time to tell their story.

Happy Sunday

Nicko