Ivanhoe Wines Vintage 2019
It is almost that time of year when we start creating the 2019 vintage of the wines you love!
Stephen Drayton and our vineyard team are hard at work in the vineyard prepping the vines for the upcoming harvest. Optimal conditions are being expertly managed via slashing - to keep the humidity down - and irrigation. While irrigation is banned in European winemaking (where they subscribe to Old World winemaking conventions), it is an essential element of successful wine production in the Australian climate.
Of course, we’re also keeping a close eye on the fruit in the lead up to harvest. Frequent inspections are carried out to ensure we pick at the perfect time. The refractometer is being used for fruit field testing to measure the sugar levels in the grapes. Samples will also be taken to the winery over the next two weeks to monitor the ripeness and quality of the fruit.
Where do we start?
Vintage 2019 will commence with the picking of our white varieties. Chardonnay will start, followed by Traminer and Semillon. Finishing up with Verdehlo.
Not long after, the red varieties will get their turn. The majority of our Shiraz, followed by the Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon will be picked in late February.
Harvest time
We use both manual and mechanical harvesting methods in the Ivanhoe vineyard.
Our white grapes are mechanically harvested using specialised harvesting machinery. This begins in the very early hours of the morning, usually, around 2 am and finishes up at 10 am.
For our reds, we use the traditional hand picking harvest method. Teams of fruit pickers work from 5 am to 2 pm to collect the red grape varieties.
A lot of hard work and dedication goes into each vintage of Ivanhoe premium wines. We can't wait to begin Vintage 2019 and taste the results!
All images in this article are from our 2018 Vintage
