This week: 15th. June

Weather Report Week Ending 15/6/07
Maximum Temperature for the week 13.4C (56F) on Sat. All 7 days below our average.
Minimum Temperature for the week -1.3C (29F) on Fri. We had 2 days above our average.
Rainfall for the Week 1.0mm (3 points) 2 days of rain.
Weather data thanks to BOM & Nuriootpa Viticulture Research Centre.

Another very cold week. All 7 days again below our max. average for this month of 14.2C. The high pressure systems that have caused or fine but cold days, are sitting much further south than is usual for this time of year. The weather maps at the moment look more like Summer maps than the Winter we should be having. Because the highs are so far south, they are blocking any cold fronts that are coming up from the south (where most of our winter rain normally comes from). Without some change in the current systems we run the risk of missing out on quite a bit of potential winter rainfall. This month we are looking yet again at well below average rainfall, we have only had 11.4mm, our average for June is 64.8mm. We still need more then 50mm to give us an average month.

This week in the vineyard:
Pruning continues - this week we have finished blocks of Shiraz, Riesling and White Frontignac. I have also been mowing winter weeds in the rows we haven't planted with a cover crop. With the same pass I am also spraying under the vines with a knockdown herbicide to clean up the weeds that have started to come up. We have also ordered a few Albarino vines to do a trial planting for Mad Dog. We may have a new product to launch if all goes well in 4-5 years time.