Trials and tribulations

Such a delay in posting! Sorry all. Summer and the start of 2014 have been a bruising whirlwind around Gryphonwood.

So what does one do when:

Winter and spring winds, followed by marauding escapee sheep have battered and torn apart our fledgling 777 Pinot Noir block. It is a replant job...and time for mutton.

The Tasmanian economy finally, truly, tanked. Retail (not only wine) has dried up to a trickle and I now fear for some of our customers, not to mention the cascading impact this is having on us and beyond. Our hope is that this weekend's election will see some calm come to the state soon, and give everyone a chance to recover.

The keenly awaited 2013 wines have failed to eventuate to date (we had a small yet special joy with the 2013 Pinot Gris; it is stunning, but only 15 cases!). Hopefully soon!

Mel's hip failed, Christmas eve of all times. It has been a painful and slow summer for her, and it is a basically a countdown now to a replacement. On top of that, child number one's auto immune disease is  back with a vengeance.

A tree limb came down on my car, whilst I was doing 70km/hr in it! I am stunned that it did not come through the windscreen and take my head off! Car is a little worse for wear and still awaiting repair.

Launceston's Festivale changed their strategies on wine this year and left a lot of little vineyards on the fallback list. Sadly they fell back on us only a few weeks out from the event, and there was no way we were going to be ready - so the festival season was a big non-event this year.

We find ourselves in a fight to keep our land and home, as an outside legal contest has managed to drag us into the fringes.

We got an offer to buy every case of our wine, by a big online retailer...at a price that was one third the cost of manufacture of the wine! Exactly who is profiting in the wine industry??? (we said no btw)

Something has eaten two out of three Peking ducks! Worked out they are easy pickings at night it seems...

So what does one do? Should one sit and sulk or grizzle about it? No...everyone has their troubles.

One cracks a red with family and friends, raises a glass and says 'Cheers!'

I hope your 2014 is awesome, truly.