2020 has been quite a year, but regardless of the events unfolding around the world, the growing cycle progresses as it always does in the vineyards at Sainte Rose.  The year began with higher, more consistent rainfall than usual, resulting in concerns over diseases like mildew and oidium, however with careful treatment, this has been avoided in the Sainte Rose vineyards and the grapes are looking clean and healthy.  

As temperatures soared up to almost 40 degrees Celsius last week, veraison has progressed quickly across all varieties, markedly so in the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Veraison signifies the beginning of the ripening cycle, when the vines concentrate their energy into producing sugar, aromas, flavours and tannins, rather than vegetation. In white grapes this process transforms the hard, green berries into softer, more translucent, golden bunches, and in the red varieties from opaque green into glorious red and purple fruit.

With humidity rising and storms forecast later in the week we will start our harvest tomorrow, picking Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for the 2020 traditional method sparkling base wines.  For these base wines we require juice with lower potential alcohol and higher levels of acidity.  As sugars rise and the grapes ripen, we will then continue harvesting for our still wine range.

Please follow our progress on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as we enter the 2020 harvest.  We will be posting regular images and updates of this exciting and important period over the course of the next few weeks.