This week: 28th. September

Weather Report Week Ending 28/9/07

Maximum Temperature for the week 29.0C (84F) on Tue. 5 readings above our monthly average of 17.5C.

Minimum Temperature for the week 6.2C (43F) on Mon. 6 readings above our monthly average of 7.0C.

Rainfall for the Week 8.6mm (25 points) 2 days of rain.

Weather data thanks to BOM & Nuriootpa Viticulture Research Centre.

A fairly warm and very windy week this week. Two days this week we recorded wind gusts of around 80km/h. Tue. we recorded a Max. of 29C this was 11.5C above our September average, but that was still 3C short of setting a record. We have also received another useful fall of rain this week - but still only about as much as we are evaporating each week.

This week in the vineyard:

The wind this week has not done any damage to our vines, the shoots are not yet long enough for them to break off. We will not want wind like that during flowering, as this would severely limit fruit set. My staff have been doing general maintenance work this week prior to them taking a couple of weeks holiday. They have also been training young vines. I have had a very busy week, I have now finished spraying the midrow, to preserve as much moisture in the soil as we can. I have also started applying our first fungicide for the season, when the wind has eased up enough for me to get out there. I will be in Perth this week, after which I will have some very exciting (for me personally, and for the Barossa Valley) news to announce. Stay tuned for my big announcement next weekend. Today's Photo shows a young Chardonnay shoot with 2 inflorescences on it (this seems to be fairly normal this year). The potential is there for quite a good crop - if only we had enough water available to see it through to maturity.