I feel like I have blinked, and bam it’s February. Vintage 2025 is just around the corner, and I have been one busy little bee.

In between plenty of deliveries and vineyard visits over December and January, I’ve been sourcing new French puncheons and a new French barrique for this year’s Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Shiraz Viognier.

Before the new vintage of fruit arrives, I will be finishing off bottling; with the 2024 Tempranillo, new Malbec and Shiraz Viognier lined up in coming weeks. I am pulling them off oak a little earlier than usual, to make sure they stay nice and juicy and fresh.

I’m never one to make vintage predictions – you can just never tell what is going to happen in those final weeks of ripening. But if I had to put money on it today, I’d say things are running on time and if not, a little bit later than usual.

But honestly, it cannot come soon enough. Where are the blossoms? Where are the birds? Is the colour coming in on the reds? Have I ordered enough fruit? I don’t think anyone would want to be in my mind right now, it is an absolute jumble of a place.

At the end of the day, she’ll be right. It always is. There are just continuous and simultaneous feelings of dread and excitement at this time of year.

Something I am really looking forward to, is the hand-picking of our Chardonnay and Tempranillo (for Rosé). It is always a really fun time out in the vineyard, a bit of an unofficial kick-start to vintage.

I think we’ll be pulling the first fruit by the end of the month, and then starts the next wondrous and fanatical year of winemaking at Dream Bird.

Until next time,

Kym