Verjus Harvest 2009

It was more a case of "Global Cooling" this year with the Chardonnay verjus being harvested 10 days later than last year. So far a great growing season on the granite belt for grapes - if you escaped the hail that has decimated many of the local farmers this season that is. Our vineyard was "Christened" with hail on Christmas day afternoon but thankfully only a very small amount resulting in very limited damage. The hail-marked fruit was immediately removed from the vines by hand and the total losses were only 5-10%.


We harvested 4 different blocks this year over a 1 week period as the grapes reached that magical day of "verasion" - the point at which the grapes stop growing in size and start to accumulate sugar. In verjus harvest, timing is everything!. We had a "Friends and family" day on Sunday 11 January followed by contract harvesting over most days of the following week.




Here we are enjoying a beer or two under the vines after harvest.


Crush was today, Jan 19. The fruit was gold, firm and the first flavour analysis shows a really nice mandarin/orange character this year which we haven't had before.

Crushing in progress. That's cellar hand Rowan raking grapes into the crusher.

You can dowload the VERJUS FACTSHEET from our website www.lirah.com.au