Lower Barrington vigneron Vanessa Bagot said it meant the grape harvest was back to normal.

“Last year all our grapes were off by April 20 – but that was really early,” Mrs Bagot said.

“Normally for us it’s the first week of May.

“We expect it to be around then for this vintage, it is a little slow but this vintage is more normal than last year.”

According to Wine Tasmania the Tasmanian vintage usually begins from mid-March, at the peak of the dry autumn when ripening occurs, to late May before the risk of frost and rain.

However, vintage variations are greater in Tasmania than any other Australian region.

The Sydney-based Bagots have only been involved in their Tasmanian wine-making business for approaching five years.

Since taking over at Barringwood it had been a steep-learning curve – but one which had been embraced head-on. 

The Bagots have been in an expansion phase at their two other vineyard sites after planting nine hectares at Cranbrook on the East Coast, plus 18 hectares at Evandale.

“We’re still planting for another couple of weeks at Evandale,” Mrs Bagot said.

“The vines we’re putting in now will be as if they were put in next spring – but better to be in the ground than out.”

The Barringwood Vineyard at Lower Barrington is the flagship. 

Read more at source: The Advocate