Grape picking = Shiraz 2020, Mar 3 & 4 2018

Drove the new Passat to Inglewood for the 1st time.  Very smooth.

Got there around 10.45, and had my hair cut and coloured at 11.15

Justin had a late lunch ready for me when I'd finished.  Takes hours to get hair this good...

Read the paper, pottered around, didn't want to get too dirty because of my hair... Also, it was pretty windy, and hot, bit too unpleasant to be doing anything like gardening outside

That said, the chives were looking lovely in full bloom with lots of bees buzzing around

The mint was also in flower and looking very happy

And, the asparagus was still alive - yay.  Not much progress on the citrus trees though - still had a green trunk, but no new leaves, and the pink lady apple which had little green buds two weeks ago, had burned off again.

We also organised the large rug in the dining room (previously upstairs).  I had thought that the dining room was getting a bit crowded - what with the large dining table, bookshelf, dumb waiter, Victorian organ, sideboard, couch and chairs....I want to move/get rid of the organ - we don't need it there... Justin wants to keep it. I would prefer that the sideboard goes where the organ is - and that the organ either goes upstairs or out.  Don't forget that we also have another new desk (from Ocean Grove) which is currently/temporarily in our room

Anyway, moved the furniture to get the rug down, and I suggested that we have the table contracted ie square -as it can fold in on itself.  That made more room - and we don't actually need it so long unless we have lots of people - and I think it looks a lot better - in the window bay.  And that way we could put the 2 chairs in front of the fireplace - in preparation for Winter

Went up to Kingower - Village Green at 6.45 - for the 1st Saturday of the month get together

Once again we were the 1st there, but Maile and David arrived minutes later, and Damo, Nicole and Jerry soon after that

It was a lovely evening, and the wind had died down

Justin took some lovely photos of the sky

The plan had been to have a simple dinner when we got home, - I was planning a tuna salad with fresh/pickled veggies etc

However, because there had been dips/chips. nuts etc - we didn't really feel like dinner, so just grazed on some more cheese etc - and watched About a boy - which is an oldie but a goody - very enjoyable

Had to get up early on Sunday - as I was going to pick grapes at Blanche Barkly.  Justin got up too, as he was going to come with me, but run back from the Village Green in preparation for his upcoming Great Ocean Road half marathon

Arleen had said 8am, I got up there around 8.10, when Damo and Nicole were arriving also

Got Justin to take a before photo (can also see my new haircut)

I also took a photo of Justin

Luckily it wasn't as hot today as yesterday, nor so windy

Arleen supplied us with grape snips and some buckets, and off we went.  We were picking shiraz grapes, and they were just perfect, had to be picked this weekend

Basically, we had to pick up a bucket, and then empty it into a larger red tub, which would be collected by tractor later on

We were given rows to start on, and instructions as to what to do with substandard grapes (ie bird strikes), snip them off and throw them on the ground

The grapes were lovely (I tried a few) - reminded me a bit of wisteria flowers hanging in trailing bunches

  

Sometimes they got tangled in the wires, and other times it was hard to find the stem to cut.  At least I didn't get all scratched up like when I am gardening.  It was relatively genteel.

Was also satisfying to hear the solid thud when the grape bunch fell into the bucket - lots of juice!

Once we'd filled up all of the red crates, Damo manned the tractor and came and picked them up - and they went on a trailer behind the tractor

Then back to the winery and the crushing and destemming machine.

First had to weigh the grapes - around 900kg for the first batch.  

And then into the crusher/destemmer.  I was given the important job of manning the stop button, and also moving the empty red crates out of the way.

Terry heaved the crates up to empty the grapes into the destemmer   

The grapes were crushed, and the stems spat out, and the juice went through a large hose up into the big metal "spaceship"

Arleen also provided us with a morning tea - some nice cakes and a cup of tea, and later a hearty lunch of baked pasta with a green salad, and some of their light Nuovo wine - delicious

And then back to the picking - I felt that I was starting to get my eye in - and was trying to be more efficient ie positioning the bucket/tub under the grape bunches and then just snipping and letting them fall straight in, or guiding them with my hands.

I stayed til 4pm - as Justin wanted to leave then.  Got back to the house, and asked Justin to take an "after" photo of me (thought I would have been grubby) - but I wasn't too bad - just tired 

Then quickly grabbed my stuff and we left for Melbourne