The Auswine Forum

I reported a few weeks ago the frost event that smashed numerous vineyards and regions across SA, I understand there were widespread losses through areas of the Barossa as result, but in the last couple of hours there was this carnage in the Barossa as well:

[url]https://wbmonline.com.au/barossa-smashed-by- ... U8UISyejkI[/url]

Yes sad for all concerned, reinforces more than ever now that 2021 will be the vintage to go for.
Cheers Craig.

Looks devastating, I really feel for all concerned.

Spoke to a couple of winemaker friends in the Barossa this evening and they are devastated. Massive damage done and yields will be down by at least 50% at first guess. Just terrible news after all that the last couple of years has thrown at them. COVID, bushfires in Adelaide Hills and very low yields in 2020. Mother Nature can sometimes be a real b****h.

Cheers
Ian

Unfortunately that’s the nature of farming...

Interesting listening to one of the fruit growers from Lenswood in the Adelaide hills on ABC radio this AM.
Recall he said it's about 50K per hectare for hail protection/netting. For some a total life saver with this most recent event. Completely untouched, whereas those without it probably took a 30-50% hit. I think most, if not all, are looking to go that way so hail is a non issue in the future.

As for the Barossa that's such a darn thing to be setting up so well for back to back stellar vintages, than cop that.
15 mins of 20mm sized hail was all it took.

Spoke to another mate down there and he said the Moppa sub district escaped the worst of it.

ticklenow1 wrote:Spoke to another mate down there and he said the Moppa sub district escaped the worst of it.

I don't mean to downplay this one bit but wasn't it the time worn winemaker bit about how the excessive rainfall that ruined the vintage miraculously missed their vineyard?

Could be some more on the way...frigid November day an Adelaide top of 14 degrees, fingers crossed the rain that comes is just gentle stuff!
Remembrance Day may be just that.

Cheers Craig

Mahmoud Ali wrote:

ticklenow1 wrote:Spoke to another mate down there and he said the Moppa sub district escaped the worst of it.

I don't mean to downplay this one bit but wasn't it the time worn winemaker bit about how the excessive rainfall that ruined the vintage miraculously missed their vineyard?

Well the winemaker I spoke to lives at the other end of the Valley from Moppa and has no vineyards there....

Looks like gentle late spring rains for the next 3-4 days...ala what occurred leading into 2012... in most of SA anyway.
Cheers Craig