A few of Margaret River’s best dressed greenies have created a wonderful mountain bike adventure planned for October this year! This looks to be a tonne of fun with a team who know their stuff.

REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE CHALLENGE

Sunday 18th to Sunday 25th October 2009

8 Days – 7 nights

The RECC mountain bike tour is a nine day point to point ride through the Margaret River, Cape to Cape region. Keeping off the main roads the route has been planned to take in the most of this extremely diverse region.

The tour will start and end at Glenbrook Farm Stay about 4km south of Margaret River, just off the southern ‘Rails to Trails’ track. Utilising local tracks and little used roads we will travel from Margaret River to Cape Leeuwin and return via the Willyabrup Wine Region, Margaret River and Blackwood River catchments, Augusta, Hamelin Bay, Boranup Forest and Contos Beach.

The RECC is not a race. It’s a tour in the true sense. Some hard and some not-so-hard days, with the emphasis on smelling the roses, not on clocking up the kilometers.

All the riding will be fully supported with most meals prepared at Glenbrook and delivered hot and delicious to riders on route, campfires at night and a touch of the gourmet at wineries and cafes whenever possible.

Riders will bring their own camping gear and this will be transported from one campsite to another.

Part of the exercise will be to learn a bit about the area so we’ll have a few talks, mainly on environmental aspects of the area we travel through. Attendance will not be compulsory but the exam will.

The cost will be all inclusive except for alcohol and cappuccinos.

The tour is limited to maximum of fifty riders. Cost per rider $1050

Check out the website for more details  http://www.margaretrivercycletrek.com.au/index.html

How’s this for a wave!

Surfed a few weeks ago at a secret Margaret River location by legendary Australian surfer Mark Mathews.
In the words of Mark, “I had been out for 6 hours before I got this wave. It had been really slow all day and I hadn’t had any good ones yet. Then this mountain came roaring out from the horizon I got tingles (goose bumps) all over as soon as I saw it. I looked up at Hippo (Ryan Hipwood) who was on the jet ski and he didn’t even smile he just said “this things huge.”

“It was really hard to read the wave at this point. Once a wave gets over 1o – 12ft, you can’t really see the top of the wave in you peripheral vision. You have have to really turn your head and look up to be able to see what’s going to happen next. I was way too scared of falling to turn and look up at the top of the wave here. There was still so much water sucking off the reef. I just kept my eyes right in front of me and hoped the corner of the barrel wasn’t about to lip me in the head.”

Nice one Mark!

Winter has arrived in Margaret River and with shorter daylight hours, cold weather and rainfall the grapevines respond with late autumn colours and leaf loss. The start of the dormant period in the cycle of vine life has begun.

Grapevines are very robust plants and have evolved over millions of years to survive harsh winters by losing their leaves and shutting down their metabolic processes. Dormancy is really the winter survival behaviour of vines grown in temperate areas.

Towards the end of the growing season as daylight hours shorten in autumn, vines lose their leaves. As temperatures further decrease, the vines undergo a number of changes in preparation for ‘shutting down’ for the colder months. Levels of water held within the plant tissues decrease, soluble proteins and carbohydrates in bark increase and cell membranes alter their function so that basically the vines set themselves up with the biological equivalent of ‘anti-freeze’ to ensure live tissue remains for the renewal of growth in the following spring. Vines are not dead or completely inactive when dormant. They do not photosynthesize as they have no green leaves, but they are breathing to maintain basic metabolic functions. Their energy source at this stage is carbohydrates stored during the late part of the growing season. An interesting fact with dormant vines is that the vines actually move carbohydrate from the external part of the plant back down into the trunk and root system to protect the vine in the event that severe frost or freezing should damage the above ground structure of the vine. This is important, as to take cuttings for propagation later into dormancy could result in poor carbohydrate levels and therefore less success in the nursery or grafting environment. To prune early could result in removing carbohydrate and lessen the effective bud-break potential and reduce early spring shoot growth. Of course pruning early could be a management tool if we needed to control excessive vigour, simply by removing more carbohydrate earlier from the vine.

Many growers now use bud dissection as a tool prior to pruning to determine the fruitfulness potential of retained buds and to help support the decisions made with bud selection at pruning. This is by no means an exact science but simply a tool that allows another set of information to help predict an outcome. Bud dissection requires the grower to supply a representative sample of the buds that could be left after pruning. These buds are dissected and observed under a microscope. Assessments are made for bud health (is the bud still alive), pests (vine mite can be found in the buds) and then the microscopic flower cluster primordia from the primary bud can be counted. After dissecting bud samples and documenting information, a prediction of yield for respective blocks can be made. We understand that there are many variables that will affect the final yield at harvest and that bud dissection is simply another tool to help with predicting a suitable ratio between fruit weight and canopy size; the long term goal being to improve wine quality.

Contributed by Bruce Pearce

Following an incredibly busy summer season, things have finally started to quiten down a bit in Margaret River.

Autumn, Winter and Spring are traditionally our quitest months. Ironically they are considered by locals to be the best months. The summer crowds have gone, the winds have dropped and we experience a stunning display of natural colour; first with the changing of the vines from green to vibrant yellow and red, followed by the greatest display of wildflowers on the planet.

The good news for visitors to the region is that accommodation prices tend to be more competitive.

The Margaret River Discovery Company has also joined the Red Hot Deals campaign hosted by Tourism Western Australia and MargaretRiver.com

Either tour is only $148 each. Representing a 20% discount on the Best of the Best Wine Tour and 10% discount on the Discovery Tour.

Book now for “personalised touring at its best”. 

Call Sean on 0439 910 064 or email  sean@margaretriverdiscovery.com.au

 

Today we spotted this seasons first pod of migrating Humpback Whales heading up the coast past Margaret River.

They are headed North to feed and breed.

The Humpback whales that visit Australia’s coastal waters spend their summer months feeding in the Antarctic. With the onset of the southern hemisphere winter the Humpbacks migrate an average of 2,500km from polar waters to their tropical breeding grounds, undertaking some of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom. Although similar migrations of the same species occur in the northern and southern hemispheres, the two populations never interbreed, even where they use the same equatorial breeding waters, because the northward and southward convergences on tropical waters occur six months apart. Whereas most migrating whales avoid land masses, the Humpbacks follow the coastline reasonably close to shore, which makes them an ideal species for whale watching and rendered them an especially vulnerable species in the days of whaling.

In winter, Antarctic food becomes scarce and the waters become far too cold for these warm-blooded animals. The cold would kill any the new-born calves as they are born without the insulating layer of blubber. To ensure the survival of the calves, the mothers produce 600 litres of extremely rich milk per day. The calves will put on approximately 45 to 60 kilograms per day.

The whales do not depart en masse but flow in and out of their breeding waters over a five-month period. As they travel they do not actively feed, except perhaps on occasional prey that may cross their path.

Young calves making their first migratory journey back to Antarctica are particularly vulnerable to natural and unnatural forces. They are the most likely to fall prey to sharks and Killer whales and the most likely to die of exhaustion. The calves manage to conserve their energy by riding the slipstream of their mother’s wake. The young calves position themselves just behind their mother’s widest diameter and just below and beside her dorsal fin. The water flowing between their bodies increases in velocity and decreases the pressure in the area, enabling the young calf to keep pace with an adult with only 75% of the effort.

While there are no gaurantees it is likely that guests joining a Discovery Tour or even a Best of the Best Wine Tour may have the opportunity for whale spotting from high above the Wilyabrup Cliffs.

Humpback Whale

Every Wednesday & Sunday: Market Day at Saracen Estates, 11am to 5pm.
23 May 2009: Margaret River Farmers Market, The Old Hospital, Tunbridge Street
25 – 31 May 2009: Blockbuster Reds Week at Must Margaret River
28 May 2009: Shin Shank & Cheek Dinner at Must Margaret River
28 May 2009: Little Birdy at Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
4 June 2009: Evermore with End of Fashion & Sundance Kid at Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
4 June 2009: Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow, Cultural Centre
17 – 21 June 2009: Bard on the Bay – Inaugural Western Australian Shakespeare Festival, Busselton
26 June 2009: The Debutante Diaries, Margaret River Cultural Centre
2 July 2009: The Needle and the Damage Done, Margaret River Cultural Centre
23 July 2009: The Ten Sopranos, Margaret River Cultural Centre
25 July 2009: The Butterfly Effect at Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
29 July 2009: Critical Stage Productions presents The Kursk, Margaret River Cultural Centre
12 August 2009: La Luna presents Letters End, Margaret River Cultural Centre
22 August 2009: Oz Opera presents Madame Butterfly, Margaret River Cultural Centre
12 September 2009: Slava and Leonard Grigoryan Concert at Cullen Wines
12 September 2009: Black Swan State Theatre Company presents The Glass Menagerie Margaret River Cultural Centre
26 September 2009: Margaret River Farmers Market, The Old Hospital, Tunbridge Street
17 October 2009: Cullen Wines Annual International Chardonnay Tasting
21 October 2009: Margaret River Wines in Perth, Frasers Restaurant
24 October 2009: Margaret River Farmers Market, The Old Hospital, Tunbridge Street
30 & 31 October 2009:Busselton Show
7 November 2009: Burning of the Vine Cuttings, Leeuwin Estate
8 November 2009: Anaconda Adventure Race, Augusta
22 November 2009: Annual Indian Indulgence Event at Cullen Wines
24 November 2009: Winemakers Cabernet Sauvignon Masterclass
25 – 27 November 2009: Margaret River Wine Show
28 November 2009: Margaret River Farmers Market, The Old Hospital, Tunbridge Street
5 December 2009: WA Ironman Triathlon, Busselton

Vintage has almost concluded and the southern sub-regions of the Margaret River are harvesting the last small blocks of red grapes in near perfect weather conditions. This has been a very interesting vintage with regard to assessing fruit ripeness and harvest dates and the early indication from most winemakers spoken to recently is that they are seeing excellent results in red wines post fermentation. The free colour expression, softer tannin structure and depth of fruit freshness are indicative to wines that will present well in youth but should also respond well to bottle ageing.

There a few vineyards locally that have selected small areas of white grapes that are destined for late harvest and desert style wines. These wines are usually risky to make and generally the weather will influence the success of producing a wine that has superior sweetness and character. If fortunate some “Noble rot” may also be present and add to the quality of “sticky” wines. The Botrytis cinerea fungal pathogen is required for Noble rot and it is this type of rot that imparts desirable flavour characters (tastes like apricot) and causes the skins of the berries to break down which then speeds up the process of dehydration and concentration. It is ironic that the diligent viticulturist will go to incredible lengths to protect the normal winemaking crop from Botrytis cinerea during the year and then at the end try to induce the Nobel rot by encouraging Botrytis cinerea into the fruit. These are the challenges that are sometimes bestowed on the grower and we hope that the end result will produce a special wine. The weather plays a big part in the success of producing a Noble wine, with Botrytis having to be present and preferring free moisture on the surface of the berry from rain or dew and a relative humidity greater than 90%, so warm weather above 25C helps with the humidity and then dehydration. My experience is that dewy mornings with fine calm afternoons are ideal and at times we have tried to replicate the dew events by applying water mist from our spray unit in the early hours of morning. When we have had great success with producing these wines, the infection has started at the end of normal vintage dates and then harvest has been as early as a fortnight later to produce excellent desert style wines. Unfortunately in the “not so good” years the fruit may hang until the end of May and then the decision maybe made to forgo harvest if the quality isn’t suitable. This week I have seen some excellent prospective Viognier, Semillon and Riesling fruit hanging out and succumbing to the Noble rot. If the weather remains fair, I would suggest that this could be one of the great years for desert wine production in Margaret River.

With many vineyards finished harvest, the attention now is turning towards restoring vine health by application of irrigation and nutrition. A trend now is to apply foliar nutrients in preference to fertigation (fertiliser applied through the drip irrigation) and to maintain irrigation scheduling until the winter rainfall occurs. The intention is to restore as much carbohydrate through the leaf photosynthesis function and to store this energy into the woody parts of the vine (including the root system) in preparation for dormancy. This practice results in better bud development and early season vine growth for the future growing year.

Once the break of the season occurs and adequate soil moisture is present, cover cropping programmes that are designed to improve mid-row soil health and to capture soil nutrients (that would be otherwise lost through winter rainfall leaching) will be sown. These crops can be made up of many different plant species depending on soil type and then the positive effect that each plant species will bring to the soil and environment. Importantly, we now recognise the soil is a living structure that responds well to good husbandry. Soil organic matter, earthworms and the right microbes are all important components to good soil health. When the cover crops are in and growing strongly the vineyard team can take a well earned holiday.

Contributed by Bruce Pearce

Margaret River has some sensational Mountain Biking Trails. Unfortunately none of them are approved by DEC.

So the Mountain Bike fraternity refer to them as Kangaroo trails.

I have been wondering for some time what the Kangaroo trails around Carters Rd looked like from above.

We took a GPS out this morning and tracked the path of an ageing, balding, and slow, Western Grey Kangaroo.

Results attached. Follow the Blue Line (you will note that Google Earth recognises Carters Rd as McQueen Rd)

Please note I do not endorse riding these trails.

If you are coming to ride in Margaret River you will discover this map is completely useless if you dont actually know these trails. If you don’t want to get completely lost, and you will; there is no signposting, it’s a maze amongst thick forest, and you wont understand the loop networks for the best flow,  you will need to ride with a guide.  I recommend Rob from Dirty Detours. http://www.dirtydetours.com/  I’m not on kickbacks. I’m not on commisions. Im just telling you he’s the goods for max fun.

Carters Rd Trails

The 2009 vintage is now complete and we can report that things look very positive. Weather conditions worked in our favour with good rainfall and no wind and hail damage during the Spring although the cool, moist weather did produce a curious event.

Occasionally we have seen small “Looper” caterpillars, so called because of the unusual way they curl up as they move. Their appearance in the vineyard is rare and they normally do very little damage, however Spring 2008 in Margaret River was ideal for them and they appeared in numbers not seen before.

Some producers in the region reported very serious losses, with some estimates running at over 50%. We experienced small infestations, limited to vines growing near eucalypt trees and estimate the yield reduction to have been less than 1%, so we were lucky.

Our regular and resident pests, birds and kangaroos, have also been kind to us. The Red Gum flowering was the best we’ve had for some time, so the Silvereyes spent most of their time chasing nectar from the blossoms rather than grapes. We applied our nets because as the flowering waned the birds began to do some harm in the vineyard but this was minimal. We also have a mob of kangaroos that have taken up near-permanent residence in our rehabilitated bush land, which is all very cute. However, they are also developing a taste for grape sand find it quite convenient to hop over into the vineyard and help themselves to some Cabernet Sauvignon takeaway!

The losses are only small but if this keeps up some improved fencing will be necessary!

Our temperatures have been very mild, with virtually no extreme heat during the growing season, with the weather station recording only 4 hours above 33C. This is unusual because in the very cool seasons of 2002 and 2006 we recorded 21 hours and 45 hours, respectively.

On the other hand, we have experienced significantly more hours in the 18-28C range, where grapevines are doing their best work, so the ripening has been steady, if slightly slow. In the end, the harvest date for all varieties is average, or slightly later.

Yields have varied, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc slightly above average but all the red varieties and Semillon are slightly down.

Quality is very pleasing indeed. The whites have benefited from the mild season and retained lifted, fresh fruit aromas in all varieties and they also exhibit terrific acidity on the palate. It’s much the same situation for the reds, with clear varietal characters and good colour and tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignon is very exciting, displaying the deep, complex fruit notes we saw in 1995 and 1975. Let’s hope we can turn this potential into good wine!

Another amzing day of touring capped off with a stunning display of Dolphin feeding in the later afternoon.

Australian Salmon (Nothing like Atlantic Salmon. More akin to a very big Herring) are schooling along the South Western Australian coastline at the moment and we were lucky enough to be hiking the Cape to Cape track today and see well over 150 Bottlenose Dolphins herding the Salmon into the shoreline and creating a feeding frenzy.

Dolphins were launching out of the waves with backflips and spins. Some of them jumping in groups of 20 or more at one time.

A real treat.

 

 

Just a small sub group of over 150 Dolphins feeding on Australian Salmon off Wilyabrup Beach