Summer Newsletter 2011-12

A big WELCOME to our new Adoptive Parents. We've done a record number of Adoptions this December, and our little vines are so happy to be adopted. Throughout the year you will be receiving updates on the vineyard, Hands-On Day information, specials and more. Be sure to come out and see your vine and take advantage of the generous 25% discount off all wines. If you haven't adopted a vine yet, it's never, never too late. We still have all of Top Block Pinot Noir available for adoption. Read on to find information about the first Hands-On Day in January.

Need a place to relax this week? Tired of Turkey and hungry for pizza and wine? 

We are open everyday and cooking pizzas and more from Boxing Day through Monday, 2nd January (inclusive).

So if you are looking for somewhere relaxing to go to, take a drive to the Macedon Ranges and stop by and see us. Open everyday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00.

 

Ain’t Love Grand?
 

I love romance - I even teared up. Another engagement at the winery. The proposal took place at the lovely little table for two next to the picture window. She accepted, of course, and it's a beautiful ring! Congratulations, Michael & Hollie. I hope that you will come back every year on your engagement anniversary. Michael and Hollie also adopted a vine – sort of like a ‘first child’. 

Hands-On Day: 'Canopy Management & Crop Estimation'  Sat 14th January 9:00 for 9:30 start.

This is the first Hands-On Day for the year and it's always a popular one. Learn how to control growth, manage trellising for maximum sunlight capture, shape the vine and more. Each year we plan a couple of hands-on days in the vineyard to show you how we turn sunlight into wine, it all starts in the vineyard. On this Saturday we start at 9.30am sharp with a short but essential classroom exercise.

At Gisborne Peak we have been growing grapes for wine for 30 years now. Over that time we have learned how to get the best balance between our trellis type, canopy density and plant vigour and the climate to produce what we believe are the best grapes we can possibly deliver into the wine-making phase.

This day is all about seeing how the parts of the puzzle fit together in the vineyard at least.  

It is an interesting experience, something that you might only do once but something that you will be happy to have done we are sure. Much of what you learn can be transposed into improving the performance of your garden at home.

After the class work and a brief morning tea we go into the vineyard for about an hour to learn first hand the art/science of canopy management before you are assigned a small patch of vines to work on by yourself, that's solo, alone, unsupervised and as an individual in case you were unclear. You will be amazed at how quickly you learn to deal with the principles that you were taught and help us turn some sunlight into wine.

Then it's back to the marquee for a de-brief and lunch. We finish by about 2:00.

There is more information about this day on the website under 'What's-On'. Follow this link. You do need to book and the cost to cover the morning tea and lunch is $20.00 pp. for Adopt-a-Vine parents (and partners) and $30.00 pp for all others.

Riesling Rocks! 'Riesling & Seafood Sunday'  

12^th February 2012

 

As part of the nationwide 'Summer of Riesling Festival', we are holding the first Riesling & Seafood Sunday at the Winery. Why? Because we, and others, feel that the world's only truly noble white grape variety, Riesling, is under-rated and unappreciated by most and never really get's it's day in the sun. The Riesling movement is alive and growing in Australia & New Zealand with Riesling events being held throughout the months of January and February. For more information you can visit the website, www.summerofriesling.com.au.

But you don't need to go any further than Gisborne Peak Winery because our event is going to be a great example of just how good Riesling goes with seafood. That's the whole exercise - matching Riesling with oysters and prawns. This is going to be an opportunity to create a better life for yourself and the ones you care about through discerning Riesling consumption. Possibly the greatest social experience you will take part of in your life. OK, we might be going a little overboard, but it will be an eye-opener.

Here's how it will work. We will have a number of vintages of Riesling open for tasting & comparison. Riesling is one of the aromatic wines, and it ages so uniquely. All of the vintages will be available by the glass or by the bottle. Now, for the food. Oysters go naturally with Riesling. So we will be preparing Oysters Natural and Oysters Kilpatrick (cooked in the wood-fired oven), and serving them by the half-dozen. Prawns are also an excellent seafood to pair with Riesling (and let's face it, not everyone is crazy about oysters - like me). So prawns served in two styles: cooked and chilled, and our regular garlic sizzling prawns. YUM!

As we will need to order the oysters we need an estimation of how many will be coming and what you would like. A menu is at the end of this newsletter and there is also a separate information and booking sheet.  We ask that you call us and pre-order what you would like so that we have plenty of quantities of everything. Otherwise we could end up with a whole lot of extra oysters that Bob would need to eat (since I don't) and you know what that means! Call us on (03) 5428 2228 or email us with your booking, numbers of people and quantities of oysters and prawns you would like.

After the rain the vines just want to grow, and grow and grow!  Here we are, not even the end of December and it looks like I will need to start hedging tops and sides.  The growth has been fantastic so now the battle will be to control the vigour without creating too much side shoot growth and cause too much density in the canopy.  A dense canopy is more prone to powdery mildew infections.

This is a picture of the Lagrein. So much growth they are almost touching each other. Trimming time - short back & sides for summer.

But there is plenty of fruit!  If we can keep it nice and clear of mildews, and the season stays reasonalbe in terms of weather, we should have a good harvest.  Those of you coming to the canopy management day will help me estimate the potential harvest volume in the Crop Estimation session.   

'Long Table at Dusk', Saturday, 3rd March

Advance notice. For the past two years we have hosted a ‘Long Table at Dusk’. The idea is for you to enjoy the vineyard, sitting amongst the vines, looking at the grapes and drinking the result. Matched with a bit of food, soft evening air, golden light and great wine and company - well, what more can I say?

We are taking the cellar door out to the vines for you to enjoy. We have moved this event to early Autumn, as Spring was too unpredictable and a little too cool as the sun set. If the weather isn't nice, there is always Plan B - the marquee. Again, lovely in the evening. Tickets are now available on-line. The cost if $65.00 pp.  We will end the night with a glass of muscat and some chocolate truffles (included in price). Dinner Wines additional.  Make bookings on the attached booking form, by calling the winery, emailing or book online via our website.

Eco-Cottages up and running

Wow, we are really surprised and pleased at how well the bookings are coming in for the cottages. It’s been a good run right through New Year’s, although January seems to be lagging. Maybe it has something to do with a ‘beach culture’. They could always swim in the dam! 

Our guests are loving them and we think you will too. So a couple of special offers to our newsletter fans, our Adoptive Parents and if you are reading this newsletter in our cellar door, and are available only for the month of January: Offer 1: stay one mid-week night at normal price of $220 and get the second night for an extra $75. So that 2 nights for $295. Normal price $400. Offer 2: stay two-weekend nights (Fri-Sat or Sat-Sun) for only $350, normal price $424. That’s only $350 for two nights in January. (excluding New Years Eve, Jan 1 – already fully booked). That leaves 3 weekends, and 3 cottages. Book now by calling the winery on (03) 5428 2228. These specials are not available on our website or Wotif and are exclusive to readers of this newsletter. 

Bye Bye Ana

Sad to say, but Ana has left us. Yes, she needed a break. I think we worked her too hard. She leaves as a good friend and will be greatly missed as a colleague. We wish her well and I'm sure we'll see her back here on the other side of the counter!

Leith Clymo has taken over some of the roles, including the Adopt-a-Vine Coordinator. Leith has been with us for a number of years, working at the wood-fired oven on weekends and in the vines during the week. She's more than capable and we're lucky to have her ready and able to step into the role.