Oatley Vineyard Second Harvest
The second harvest of the year at Oatley — picking Kernling grapes with a team of seasoned volunteers, followed by one of the finest feasts a vineyard has ever hosted.
The alarm went off at 7am Sunday morning to arrive at Oatley Vineyard for a 9:30 start with coffee. There were many more people this time — some of the pickers have been doing it for over ten years. That says everything about the kind of day it is.
Iain is in the kitchen this time while Jane joins the pickers in the crisp, fresh, sunny vineyard. The grape variety is Kernling — the later ripening of the two varieties grown at Oatley. Madeleine Angevine was harvested back in September.
The Kernling Grape
Kernling makes Leonora's, a wine that has been likened to a Sancerre. Unlike Sauvignon Blanc, Kernling can be aged and develops beautiful honey notes over time — not surprising when you discover its first cross was with Riesling. The acids were slightly higher this year across the South West, but this will be adjusted in the winery to ensure the 2010 Leonora's is perfectly balanced when it reaches you.
The Feast
I'll be honest: it wasn't a hard day's graft for a superb feast. We were finished before 1pm — with a coffee, cake and wine break included. Bubbles in the sun by 1pm, then on to a feast of salted salmon, lamb, a scrumptious blackberry dessert, cheese and coffee. We spent more time eating than picking. I somewhat felt the day was out of balance.
For more information on visiting and buying Oatley wines, contact Iain and Jane directly at oatleyvineyard.co.uk.