A number of McLaren Vale vineyards lost a large percentage of their already heavily reduced crops earlier this season when, immediately following between 30-90 mm of rain on January 20 and 21, the parched vines responded by taking up water. As you’d expect, much of this went straight to the fruit, with disastrous consequences. So, chalk up another difficulty for Australian growers in 2007. They have had to deal with, in no particular order: global warming, a 100-year drought and heatwave, unprecedented frosts, bushfires and smoke taint, hail damage and fruit splitting. You can add to this a domestic fruit surplus that has driven down prices. An easy gentle way of life? You have to be kidding. The photo was taken by James Hook, the McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association’s Viticulturist.
