Ferguson Valley wineries expecting good quality yields after “perfect” growing season

Wineries in the Ferguson Valley are confident of a good harvest for their 2019 vintages after favourable growing conditions in the region.

St Aidan Wines started picking last week and owner Phil Smith said he expected a good harvest in terms of quantity and quality.

“It’s been fairly mild which has been good for slow ripening in the Geographe region,” he said.

“Other areas have been a little bit more delayed, but our vintage is looking really good.”

“Chardonnay grapes were picked first first because we pick them when they’ve still got a lot of acid and are little greener than the still table wines.”

He said picking would continue until Anzac Day.

“We’re at a really good level of crop production at the moment,” he said.

“If you get a lot of fruit on the vines you get diluted flavour and you don’t get good quality wines, but if you don’t have enough then you don’t have enough wine.”

“That’s something we can manipulate during the season by dropping bunches off vines.”

Willow Bridge owner Jeff Dewar said picking would start late this week or early next week.

“We’re probably seven to 10 days later than normal,” he said.

“We actually pruned some of our earlier varieties later so that we would get a later bud burst.

“The fact we’re late is partly by design but also the season has been later — we feel there is a quality advantage picking later in February.”