James Gill In the early days the north-west didn’t seem a promising area for grapes. Dairy and beef cattle and a range of crops have flourished on the rich red soil for many years. But as for grapes, it was thought the rich soil could produce great vegetative growth, but not great fruit, and the area might be too cold for regular ripening. But there are now fifteen vineyards in the north-west and some excellent wines have been made, including exceptional sparkling wines from Lake Barrington and pinot noir and pinot gris from Barringwood Park, to name a few. The climate is marginal and consequently site selection is important, both to minimise the impact of frosts and make maximum use of sunlight for ripening. Both natural and man-made windbreaks have been helpful in keeping the temperature up. Similarly, rigorous winter and summer pruning are necessary to prevent excessive shading. <p>In the early days the north-west didn’t seem a promising area for grapes. Dairy and beef cattle and a range of crops have flourished on the rich red soil for many years. But as for grapes, it was thought the rich soil could produce great vegetative growth, but not great fruit, and the area might be too cold for regular ripening. But there are now fifteen vineyards in the north-west and some excellent wines have been made, including exceptional sparkling wines from Lake Barrington and pinot noir and pinot gris from Barringwood Park, to name a few.</p> <p>The climate is marginal and consequently site selection is important, both to minimise the impact of frosts and make maximum use of sunlight for ripening. Both natural and man-made windbreaks have been helpful in keeping the temperature up. Similarly, rigorous winter and summer pruning are necessary to prevent excessive shading.</p> 2008-07-23T17:31:39+10:00 north-west 359002 2008-07-23T17:31:39+10:00 84802 2008-08-28T10:16:43+10:00