Vintage - Patience Pays

The 2025 vintage is well underway at Sweetwater Estate.  Vintage is such a special time.

In just a few short weeks, all your hard work from the previous 12-months comes to life. This very slow and patient game we play, suddenly accelerates into full-throttle mode. Every year is different, no two vintages are the same – and the pressure is on – to pull the fruit at the most perfect moment of ripening. The days are long, the sleep is minimal, and the picking (feels) never ending.

But crikey, is it magical.

We have been (perhaps) over attentive with our fruit monitoring since early January – with hot, humid and wet conditions ruling the ripening period. A tricky mixture of weather to manage – but we’re confident we’ve come out the other end unscathed, and with an abundance of remarkable fruit.

In late January, the Semillon was picked, shortly followed by blocks of Shiraz in the first week of February.

Our 1654 clone Shiraz is traditionally a low yielding variety. But this year – the north south vines have been generous with the medium-sized, juicy, thick-skinned, intensely flavoured and vividly coloured berries.

Our picking team has been subjected to some very hot and humid conditions, but even the rains couldn’t dampen our spirits – with what is looking to be an incredibly bountiful and flavourful vintage.

As I write this update, we are flat out in the winery with processing, and slowly picking the last of our Cabernet (row by row for perfect ripeness).

Until next time,

Bryan Currie

Chief Winemaker, Sweetwater Estate