I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s relevant for this piece. I’m from the deep South (of Australia) and grew up with family who were/ still are primary producers. You know all that farm to table stuff that’s cool now? Yeah well that’s their livelihood and we’ve been eating and drinking direct from the soil for as long as I can remember.
In Summer when I have to purchase and pay for stone fruit I get dirty, as for such a long time we got it for free. When I tell people of the time growing up on “the block” they think it’s some kind of fairy-tale. All that fresh produce, knowing where you food comes from and the fresh air you’re enjoying. Let’s be real here and my Dad can attribute to it. I was not cut out for a life of manual labour and block work. I hated it and my little sister and brother are the same. I’d go only to pick grapes for as long as I needed to (I would count the buckets until I had made the money I needed) and I wasn’t a very good helper. Lol clearly my talents were better utilised elsewhere.
Growing up around the vines though, chatting to my Dad and other growers though did give me an insight to the behind the scenes of what the grower has to endure. The fun things like watering ( I didn’t know for the longest time that you actually had to book in your water and pay a load of money to be able to irrigate), that you have to keep log books about your crops, when you spayed and be all over the diseases too. God forbid there is a frost too, too much rain or it’s too hot. What I’ve learnt from my Dad and Grandpa is that having vines is and can be a lot of hard work, maintenance and a headache too (particularly if at the last minute the winery decide not to take your grapes..)
You’ve got to prune, feather, pick and then it comes down to whether or not you’re going to machine harvest or hand pick (that’s an additional cost too). So much labour goes into getting the grapes to make your vino! It’s important for winemakers to know how to use a refractometer too. This weird device is used to measure the amount of sugar (actually, the percentage Brix) in the juice of grapes. Winemakers know there is a direct correlation between the amount of sugar present and the ability to make wine. This portable instrument (it’ll fit in your pocket) allows the winemaker to assess the ripeness of fruit by measuring Brix in the field or vineyard so he or she can decide the proper harvest time depending upon the readings taken. Technical right?
Years ago, I remember everyone ripping out their stone fruit or citrus to put in vines because the money you’d make on grapes (this was clearly at a better time for Australian growers and wine makers) and the region I was in was flourishing. What happened though was an over saturation of the market and supply was higher than demand. Throw in a drought with water restrictions and the cost to irrigate your crops goes up. It was not a good time for people.
People refinanced their properties and homes (to fund the cost of putting in these crops) and remember you wont yield a crop sometimes for a few years. If you didn’t have a contract with the wineries, your grapes likely wouldn’t get bought, they’d stay on the vines and you were in some serious financial shit. Needless to say some people lost a lot and the suicide rate amongst farmers who lost it all went up. No coincidence there.
Often growers sell under the market price, just so they can get rid of their crops and make something to cover costs. It’s no easy work and the big wineries can prey on this and be real bastards.
Some growers eventually got savvy and started to make their own wines. There is a reason that SA produces some great wines and it’s because the climate and soil kick arse. Making your own wines = retaining the full profit as well as being able to be smart in business and you get a better return on bottles of wine vs bottles of grapes. Before you reach for a bottle of the cheapest drop in the bottlo which is likely mass produced, full of preservatives and fake flavours shop around. (Did you know that some wines which have “Raspberry notes” or an “oaky” taste are just chocked full of artificial powders and flavours? I’ve even heard of items like snakes, spiders and lizards ending up in the crushers at wineries. Chemical compounds are added to dissolve any of these nasties. Gross huh?
As consumers now, we’re becoming more savvy in finding out what is in our food, but why not our wine? 2016 is going to be the year where you find more Organic wines popping up on wine lists and in the market place and you’ll start hearing more about “Naked Wines”. Do your research, try something a little outside of the normal and be creative in trying different varieties. Here are just 2 of my faves, from my local region you might not know of but should try!
Bassham Wines
Knowing Bruce, Val and their family personally I’ve tried their wines first hand and they’re amazing. The varieties have funny names you might not have heard of but they rival any Chardy or a Sav Blanc you’ve tasted. They’re from the same region as I’m from and their wines are award winning, affordable and organic. You can order online and they’ll deliver to your door. Check them out and support 3 generations of wine growers and a small family business.
Salena Estates Winery
With a focus on sustainable viticulture and wine making, Salena Estate is Australian Certified Organic (ACO) accredited and is one of the country’s largest producers of organic wines. The Organic range of wines was introduced in 2007 and is a result of the company’s observation that there is an increasing awareness of health issues and a desire for greater choice from consumers. To satisfy a perceived demand for organic wines, Salena Estate undertook modification of its vineyard management systems to organic practices.
Rather than purchasing mass produced vino, look for smaller business and boutique wineries and buy organic! If it’s better for you, you can drink more right? Tell them I sent you, and have a drink for me!