We cover a lot of different topics in our weekly blog, ranging from Sustainability, the Environment, Leadership and Learning through to grape varieties, wine making and the wine market itself. Our blog is also our forum for bringing you an update on all things Paradise Rescued, what’s happening in the vineyards, winery, our wine and general progress reports. We have decided to sub brand this under the name “From Vine to Wine”. So every time you see those words, it will be like our most recent update. We have also created a new topics tab with this name down on the right hand side so that you can continually refer to the latest news and history.
So what’s new? Quite a few things really! Let’s start in the vineyard in Cardan, where Pascale reports that all the pruning is complete and we are ready to get the new growing season under way. With the recent humidity, this year’s main steams are very supple and she will not have any difficulty in tying them down to the lower horizontal wires. We can’t wait to be there in the vineyards ourselves in just under 10 days time to see the amazing work.
In the video clip, we pay tribute to what Pascale has achieved in Hourcat Sud as we try to compare the vineyard now with what she started with two years ago. David2 has helped that comparison by including an image of the vineyard from January 2010 in his production of the clip. As the video shows, the difference is huge. The quality of the vine has totally changed. The organic conversion has been a great success and we are optimistic that that be reflected in the quality of our fruit and #Cloud9 #CabFranc wine.
The French authorities have given us the go ahead to dig up the old Semillon vines on the Hourcat Centre block that we acquired last year. Once the work has been completed, we will plant wild flowers and leave the land unoccupied for 12 months before replanting with Merlot vines in 2013. By leaving the land unused for that period of time will allow any diseases and old roots to fully disappear and let the new young plants off to healthy start.
At the other end of our business, great things are happening too. The beautiful 2010 #Cloud9 #CabFranc has left France now on a container ship and is heading through the Mediterranean Sea towards Melbourne in a temperature controlled container called a Reefer. As always quality is the key. So far, we are also impressed with our selection of transport agent JF Hillebrand who have successfully co-ordinated all aspects of the wine’s journey from Bordeaux to Melbourne. Our cargo is expected here in late April.
Our Liquor License applications have been accepted and subject to police checks over the next four weeks, everything should be ready for business by the end of April! It’s going to be so much fun bringing our special wine to the market here in Australia. Love that wine – I’m on #Cloud9!