Visitors

Late one afternoon a trio of likely looking lads wandered into the makeshift cellar door in the Stoney Rise barrel hall. A disturbed Mike, some 11 hours into work for the day, went through the motions for the guests, fearing that their presence was merely to come, load up on some good gear, before tyre kicking their way into another cellar door. Little did he know that this youthful mob were all winemakers. Steve and Ramses from Pipers Brook and young Duncan Lloyd, son of Mark Lloyd of Coriole fame, who is working at the moment at Josef Chromy.

Here they all are. What an afternoon! Some ferment gazing, some back vintage tasting. Look at Ramses, dude in the middle that looks shifty but enjoying his huge glass of Rose. Later that evening he managed to piss his pants... what a champ!

Meanwhile, isnt Dunc a sexy boy? And a personalised belt? Well, enough said really...

Mike, having done some full body pigeage that day, managed to leave a souvenir of his underpants on Duncan's car aerial... he drove off with them flapping in the wind.

Sometime later, after leaving Ramses with urine filled pants and Steve a stumbling, stuttering mess, we discovered that Steve's car had been stolen and the three lads ended up filling out incoherent police statements with local coppers about the missing vehicle. Great day.

Pickin'

Yup. this is the post which takes you live n direct vineyard-side.

Look! It really is a family activity! How hot is Joe's wife Lou? Even in vineyard gear she is the belle of Tasmania.

Even creepy 'cousin' Mike is involved. He is looking stern because he loves to pick with a level of concentration usually associated with chess or other intellectual pursuits.

This is why we have an adult warning. For crying out loud Joe, you're meant to have had therapy for this kind of thing. Thankfully Pinot Noir with its tight, small bunches and pert, firm fruit seems to react well to this type of treatment.

What more is there to say? No one lost a finger. The Pinot Noir looked great. Our backs felt sore.

The real heroes are the pro pickers. Day in day out. Pick pick pick. No whining, just on with the job. This is the best view of the pickers too.

As an addendum, this is a gratuitous photo of Rat. Check him out cruising for buckets. Rat is THE REAL DEAL.

Where the stalks go when the grapes get destemmed if they get destemmed

To Hendo! Hendo lives next door to Stoney Rise and has an amazing, magical barn and some cows. Loves a tractor or two, too. Look at Hendo! He takes the stalks! Shovels them up and serves them for dinner to the cows. Man, Hendo loves them cows.