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.
Showing posts with label gryphonwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gryphonwood. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2014
Monday, July 11, 2011
Surprise guests in the country
Being out in the country, every now and then we get a surprise visitor on the verandah, like we did last night!
Whilst enjoying the very watchable The Adjustment Bureau, Mel and I were surprised by an energetic banging at the french doors on verandah. I went over and parted the curtains, expecting to find our two young cats have a boisterous beatup on the doorstep.
Instead, to my surprise, I came nearly eye to eye with a possum, halfway up the door with claws dug deep into my nice woodwork! The expression in his eyes match my own - "Oh! Didn't expect to see you there!"
He was a big boy, easily the size of both the cats together. Geronimo, the smaller cat, was out of bed and possibly was the cause of the possum deciding to climb my door. Stilton, the larger cat was in bed watching the beast, his face saying "I ain't going near it!!" In the light, it seemed Geronimo was having second thoughts about the possum as well, as he demonstrated when the possum decided he'd seen enough of me, and jumped down next to him. Ohh...those claws...
Anyway, the bugger decided enough was enough, and off he went over the side of the verandah. Merlot the dog was most upset at not being able to join in, but as the pic below shows, I would have had to take him to the vets next day for stitches.
Photo courtesy of a most amusing article: http://www.squidoo.com/the-lost-cat
It's amazing that I get the wildlife up on the porch. It's around four feet above the ground at this end, but that hasn't stopped the possums (fair enough), wallabies (for my international friends, these are small cousins of kangaroos) and even the damn sheep when they jailbreak, from pressing their wet noses on my nice windows!
Whilst enjoying the very watchable The Adjustment Bureau, Mel and I were surprised by an energetic banging at the french doors on verandah. I went over and parted the curtains, expecting to find our two young cats have a boisterous beatup on the doorstep.
Instead, to my surprise, I came nearly eye to eye with a possum, halfway up the door with claws dug deep into my nice woodwork! The expression in his eyes match my own - "Oh! Didn't expect to see you there!"
He was a big boy, easily the size of both the cats together. Geronimo, the smaller cat, was out of bed and possibly was the cause of the possum deciding to climb my door. Stilton, the larger cat was in bed watching the beast, his face saying "I ain't going near it!!" In the light, it seemed Geronimo was having second thoughts about the possum as well, as he demonstrated when the possum decided he'd seen enough of me, and jumped down next to him. Ohh...those claws...
Anyway, the bugger decided enough was enough, and off he went over the side of the verandah. Merlot the dog was most upset at not being able to join in, but as the pic below shows, I would have had to take him to the vets next day for stitches.
It's amazing that I get the wildlife up on the porch. It's around four feet above the ground at this end, but that hasn't stopped the possums (fair enough), wallabies (for my international friends, these are small cousins of kangaroos) and even the damn sheep when they jailbreak, from pressing their wet noses on my nice windows!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Welcome to Gryphonwood's Blog!
Does the world need another wine blog? Probably not...
Nevertheless, here we are!
In a world of big wine companies, shifting markets and an industry under intense pressure, I think it's important to look at the smaller stuff - the small end of the trade (and it doesn't get much smaller than Tasmania!). This is still the realm of family owned businesses, where a handful of people do everything in the vineyard, and often the winery as well. This is where the heart and soul of wine is; the romance we feel about wine.
With this blog, Mel and I invite you to share with us the newest stage of our venture - coming to market with our wine!
It has taken what seems an age to get to this point...through slow growing vines in Tassie's cool conditions and monster frosts wiping out a hectare of baby vines, to co-ordinated tactical incursions by possums that consumed our vine nursery, to wasps that flew in and carried away an entire vintage. We finally have a label on the market!
Cheers!
Visit our website!
Nevertheless, here we are!
In a world of big wine companies, shifting markets and an industry under intense pressure, I think it's important to look at the smaller stuff - the small end of the trade (and it doesn't get much smaller than Tasmania!). This is still the realm of family owned businesses, where a handful of people do everything in the vineyard, and often the winery as well. This is where the heart and soul of wine is; the romance we feel about wine.
With this blog, Mel and I invite you to share with us the newest stage of our venture - coming to market with our wine!
It has taken what seems an age to get to this point...through slow growing vines in Tassie's cool conditions and monster frosts wiping out a hectare of baby vines, to co-ordinated tactical incursions by possums that consumed our vine nursery, to wasps that flew in and carried away an entire vintage. We finally have a label on the market!
Cheers!
Visit our website!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)