Hobbits and Vines

It is quite easy to get lost in pictures like this in the Heldeberg. There can't be many more spectacular wine settings in the world, and when you find a day like this which is a touch overcast and stormy, it seems even more so.

The clouds come pouring over the top of the Helderberg range, wrap themselves around a peak or two and then slide down the other side before meandering on to the next rocky outcrop. It is eerie and beautiful at the same time. I think we might have mentioned it before but I swear if you look hard enough you can see hobbits in them thar hills.

It's been unseasonally cool for a while, and one would have to think that vintage will be a little later this year than the previous couple. The first signs of veriason(where the berries start changing colour) have begun to show through and with good soil moisture and minimal vine stress the ripening process seems to be moving along at a languid pace.

At this stage the prognosis for the season is pretty good. Little disease pressure, a nice, cool, wet winter and few heavy spikes in temperature through the summer so far. Hopefully we won't jinx ourselves by mentioning it but 2009 is shaping up as solid year.


Click here to go to Dombeya Wines website.