I’m always nervous on the day I decide to pick the Hanisch Shiraz. The grapes were perfect on the 25th so in came the pickers. The pictures show the Veritas vineyard crew and a team of immigrants from Cambodia hard at work. The harvest was 7.5 tonnes.

The grapes are carefully tipped into the receiving hopper from where they pass into a ‘crusher-destalker’ which I have on the lowest and most gentle setting as I want as many whole berries as possible going to the fermenters.

This picture shows the pure strain of yeast being made-up that is added to the grapes. I do not favour wild ferments as odd flavours can easily develop.

Each year I place some of the Hanisch juice in oak to be fermented. This year I am using new A.P. Johns American and a little new French Radoux.