User Profile

Colin Free

Dark (red) clouds hang over grape industry

WE received 22 millimetres of rain last week and another 5mm on the weekend, which was very welcome, as the grapevines need to be wet even when they are dormant. The frosts are clobbering the last of the leaves on the vines and I have been doing some...

20 Jun 2025

Wine Grapes

Needed rain welcome, needed better prices also welcome

ON that very important day of Anzac Day we also had a very welcome 63mm of rain. It was great to give the vines a good drink, and also to wash in the compost which we had spread just before the rain came. Sometimes it really all does come...

18 May 2025

Wine Grapes

Grapes on the go

WE completed our wine grape harvest with the last three trucks of Lambrusco Maestri last week. We are happy with the result and only had to harvest a small amount onto the ground that couldn’t be sold. Fertiliser is being put through the irrigation...

26 Apr 2025

North West Farmer

Harvest is rolling and so is the wildlife

COLIN FREE THE wine grape harvest is now in full swing, with the earlier ripening white varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio coming off first. Although the other whites and reds won’t be too far away. And I’m delighted to...

21 Feb 2025

Wine Grapes

Warm welcome to the new year

THE big picture scenario in the wine job will not change until a joint effort to remove the more than 20 million litres of surplus of red wine hanging over the industry like a dark cloud is addressed. Without it, all we can...

21 Jan 2025

News

Getting into the swing of the season

GRAPEVINES are liking the recent dry weather; most varieties have completed the flowering process and are at the setting stage. Obviously if we have a poor fruit set, we have fewer berries and overall, less fruit, but it still all looks...

25 Nov 2024

Wine Grapes

Farmers’ salty teardrops as snails are en route for Paris

MACHINE pruning is ongoing – with still a fair way to go. And, at the same time, trying to do a tidy job to lessen the inevitable and expensive hand clean up job, is important. The annual wine grape crush figures for last year are also out (you can...

20 Jul 2024

Wine Grapes

Snails racing as big chill exposes job ahead

It’s pruning time in the vineyard, and the leaves have gone, exposing a view of the job ahead. Vines will be machine pruned and given a tidy up by hand later on. There are also plenty of industry meetings on currently – with bugger all good news...

23 Jun 2024

Wine Grapes

All’s quiet, but sadly it might get even quieter

WE have just had 11 marvellous millimetres of rain from the recent event – and it was most welcome. While all our grapevines are just about dormant, they will still require wet roots to keep them happy until we get...

20 May 2024

North West Farmer

Good news amid export gloom

THE wine grape harvest has been fast and furious, and February was flat out, with the white varieties coming in with a rush – and with pleasing yields and high quality. The earlier rains had caused issues, as they do, but also assisted in...

16 Mar 2024

Wine Grapes

Weather, low prices add pressure

VINES are looking pretty good generally, but once again we are also having another season with a lot of disease pressure – the best you can say about the end of 2023 and the start of another year is the nitrogen which...

20 Jan 2024

Wine Grapes

Pushing into market headwinds

THE wine job is in a bit of a mess right now – and somehow the industry needs to remove at least 20 per cent of current plantings to try and fix it. And those vines have to be gone in a relatively short period of time. With the lack of...

16 Dec 2023