It’s a stunning time to be out in the vineyard here in the Lower Hunter Valley.
The Sweetwater Vineyard is looking incredibly vibrant (which makes a winemaker smile).
We’re about three weeks past budburst, and things are growing rapidly. The vines are full of energy and enthusiasm — much like the team right now — and it’s all thanks to a very unusual winter.
Typically, winter in the Hunter is our dry season. The rain usually comes through the warmer summer months when the subtropical weather patterns roll in. But this year, things flipped a little — we had significantly higher rainfall through winter.
It made for some muddy boots and soggy pruning days, but the upside is that the soils are absolutely charged with moisture. As we move into warmer days, the vineyard is thriving, with steady, even growth across the blocks.
That early rainfall should set us up beautifully for the season ahead. With the soil profile nice and full, the vines have deep reserves to draw from, which means they’ll likely be more resilient through summer — even if it turns out to be a dry one. It’s one of those rare years where nature might just have done us a few favours in advance.
Our approach in the vineyard remains the same as always: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The wines from Sweetwater keep delivering the kind of quality and character we love, so there’s no need to tinker too much. We’ll keep the canopy management light and measured, stay on top of disease pressure, and let the vines do what they do best — express the site.
That’s when the magic happens — quiet, slow evolution in oak, building depth and texture while we keep a close eye on the vineyard for the season ahead.
Right now, things are going gangbusters — the vineyard’s buzzing with life, and the season’s shaping up beautifully. If we can keep this momentum going, we’re in for another cracking vintage at Sweetwater.
By Bryan Currie, Chief Winemaker
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