St. Imre Vineyard

Just to keep this blog alive...

2010-05-29T18:40:00.002+10:00

I would like to let you know here as well, that we are NOW OPEN for coffee and cakes and you can order MULLED WINE to warm you up while out-and-about in our increasingly chilly Tasmanian days....

Thanks for visiting the other blog also.

Let me know if you liked this one better or the new one?

cheers... from a very sick (flu)
Kat

We have moved!...

2010-02-27T15:17:00.004+11:00

...to here: St Imre Vineyard Blog
All content was transferred and I hope you will have a better visual experience :-)
See you there...
Our infantile website is HERE.

Tasting plates

2010-02-13T13:07:00.003+11:00

I've prepared some plates as samples for the tasting menu.
Costed them at $ 15.00/plate. Tell me what you think....
The coffee machine is working beautifully but I still have to juggle with the frothing wand to get exactly what I want.
Sylvain, the current helpxer, is putting together our professional website. Fingers crossed it will come alive soon... so you don't have to read all my ramblings if you don't want to :-)
I've been playing with Youtube also. See if I can show you Rozsika and Peter impersonating the Sound of Silence at St. Imre :-)
I've passed my medication management exams...pwhhhhh
Paul is plastering the bedroom walls upstairs....Eszter you should visit more often to hasten the finishing of the house! :-))))

Menu board and topping the vines

2010-02-06T13:20:00.004+11:00

The topping is done I like the vineyard when it looks so neat. (That pile of mulch in the foreground is from the Cypresses. They were cut under the power line and now the mulch is good for the flower garden.)
Paul made the menu board, it turned out MUCH better then I've asked for :-) It looks like another piece of furniture. Eszter will draw a few bunches of grapes in the corner to decorate it...
The Herd came over from the neighbor's paddock
they are fat and healthy, the calves growing fast. Peter is sooo fat, he has rolls around his tail :-)
he's a beautiful, calm beast :-)
We've blended the Possum Piss, so not much longer to wait for...It needs a bit of settling in and we'll bottle it. Not many bottles...please put your name down to the waiting list (send me an email) if you don't want to miss out. You don't have to order it right now but reserving your bottles ensures that you'll get it when you're ready to order. They will cost $ 25.00/ bottle.
And a pretty picture of the newly planted fuchsias

Cafe essential...

2010-01-30T14:40:00.004+11:00

We are one step further to open the cafe side :-) My new baby arrived yesterday and makes a potent brew. Ohhh...and you'll love the purple cups :-) It'll be exciting to experiment with all the different coffee brands until I'll find the exact right one/ones. Now we start with a lovely bland for milk-based coffees (my barista experience at Tahune Airwalk tells me that that IS the most popular) but behind the kitchen door -rest assured- there will be much experimental coffee drinking to chose the brands for aficionados. Let me know, when you visit, if you are one of those :-)
The basic menu is also taking shape. It will be influenced by the response you'll give me...
We will be mentioned in another wine guide (I'll tell you about it when it comes out) and one of the question was: what makes you different from the competitors? We ARE different in most ways but I'd like to think that our customer service is, what really differentiates us from the rest.
Jan cleaned the windows last week It is a big job :-) we have soooo many of them...
The swallows hatched their chicks the parents are very busy feeding the brood
And last for this week...a bunch of Baco Noir Even the stem is red for this very rare variety :-)

Good fruit set

2010-01-23T15:40:00.003+11:00

The grapes are growing nicely this year. The fruit set was successful thanks to the warm and unusually calm (meaning no howling gales) weather.
It is time shortly to cut the tops off, they are being put under the 3-rd foliage wire right now.
Paul is finalizing the tranches above the septic pipes. This place will be the future berry garden with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries planned.
The kitchen is a dream! :-) even though the cupboard doors are not done yet and the range hood is not fixed. (Who knows how many more days I'll have to wait for the serviceman to bring those parts down?! They suppose to come from Melbourne... you think they would've arrived by now from Europe!)
The Red Hot Pokers are flowering and the honeyeaters are visiting in numbers.

No other news for this week...have a nice relaxing break with family and friends on Australia Day.

Life at the new place

2010-01-17T20:32:00.006+11:00

The kitchen is nearing completion..first the overhead shelves were done. They are blackheart Sassafras. Here you still can see my temporary camp cooker :-) The cooking books found their places and then the new cooker was installed. No doors on the cupboards yet but that's not so urgent...
The fire on the green velvet hill over the road is finally extinguished by the welcomed rain. Luckily it was a low intensity fire, only the under-scrub burnt out but it was going on for quiet some days.
We were bottling some 08 Pinot today and I've been promised the palinka labels are coming soon ?! :-)

My professional coffee machine is on it's way down to Tassie (yes, as you know EVERYTHING is coming from the mainland and it takes 2-3 WEEKS to get it) and I have beaut, new tasting glasses.

We had some lovely, young customers this week. I find it always a pleasure to meet those who are just starting to learn about wine appreciation and they are not afraid to ask how to drink it responsibly and what is the difference between how you drink beer, alcopops and wine.

Life is getting now into the normal routine in the new place and we absolutely enjoy sitting out on the back veranda with glasses of wine in our hands :-)
And finally the new additions to the chookyard :-)

Finally online!

2010-01-12T17:57:00.002+11:00

Sorry for the looooong absence but Bigpond took its TIME to switch us over to the new house. Nearly a MONTH!!!!! NO COMMENT ! We had fires over the road, the helicopter hovering above us and the incompetent operators instead of trying to find out what's wrong, wanted to sell me a different option EVERY time I've called....
New posts will be coming soon...

Happy New Year !

Moving weeks

2009-12-13T20:45:00.005+11:00

We are in the finish line :-)
Much has been done last week...all the little fiddly jobs that take up soooo much time.
Here are some boring details for your pleasure :-)))
This is the lounge room. The windows are in and the door of the firewood box. The fireplace will be one of those old fashioned one you see in European country houses. They are becoming popular again :-) Something like this: You can find more info here. It's worth a look even if you don't understand the language. The Hungarian master probably would be happy to travel if you want one in your house or you can ask Paul to build one after you've seen ours :-)
Windows and box painted:
Arched windows are in:
Laundry-bathroom
Big veranda in a mess...
Window glasses supplied and cut by Matt , assisted by Horst :-) and finally installed. Installation assisted by Sarah ;-)
The kitchen benches have a base...
End lastly have a look at our cheeky Native hens :-)
They not only drink from our cats' water bowl but now they jump in for a BATH also! :-))

Just other busy days...

2009-11-27T10:55:00.005+11:00

YES! Dear visitors, you can come in. We are open to tastings, despite the upheaval of all this activity around the new house and the cellardoor :-)

The lounge room is taking shape :-) The boys finished the ceiling and the base of the floor In the garden the garlics and onions are growing and the potatoes finally are in the ground My very first tomato is nearly ready to pick! The grapes are on the brink of opening the flowers
School will finish in 2 weeks time... left only: one more essay and the prac exam :-)
21 DAYS to move in...

4 weeks before moving in

2009-11-11T13:29:00.003+11:00

Maria and Tomas from Spain are with us from HelpX and they are helping a lot! :-)
We are getting close to moving-up/in and Paul is feeling the pressure...he's working on the small bathroom today. He started making the new windows also, the ones that will replace those which are green and broken now.
The walls are painted and Tomas is preparing the ceiling panels.
The young blackbirds finally flew the coop :-) and Paul could demolish the big, messy nest from the corner of the house and fix the roof so they will not be able to make a nest there in the future. Don't worry! they'll have plenty other places to make a nest when they'll decide on a new hatching :-))
This is how it looks from the back Those small windows upstairs will also be arched style, like the big ones on the gallery/cafe/winery downstairs. Of course that ladder and temporary backdoor will go :-)
This is the private, main entrance side.
Finally we could plant the garlics and onions and I've passed a few subjects at school :-)
All the best to you all!
I'm looking forward to live up there soon and -along our wines-have the kitchen and the gallery ready to offer a memorable experience to all visitors.

South Cape Walk

2009-10-29T20:46:00.007+11:00

I've taken the French boys down to the Cape. The photos are in sequence, walking out. Enjoy!
Jean Baptiste and Clement
On the button grass plain

Tiny orchid

The bush on the other side of the plain
Freshwater creek
and a little bridge over it
Another creek and the tunnel of trees Temperate rainforest jungle
We arrived
Banksia and native clematis on the shore

Coalface hills Me, nearly blown off the cliff but I was hanging on like these little succulents :-)

At home, on the farm, Paul finally could get on with the work Some more flowers for you :-)
The grapes at few leaves stage.
A very nice couple decided that our farm is a good enough place to settle and start a family here :-) Tow more ducks to feed!?...it's a privilege :-)
I could not find them in my bird book, so I would appreciate if any of you could tell me who they are. The male has a distinct blue beak but the body coloration is not matching the one I've found in the book. They are a bit shy but it's not below them to come with the domestic ones at feeding-time :-)

The roof is painted

2009-10-22T16:03:00.002+11:00

Jean Baptiste and Clement painting the roof and they've finished the front side today.
We received our "eviction order" :-) 18-th of December. So countdown has started.
Just another busy week otherwise, nothing special...we've seen the sun a few times but not enough yet to drive the tractor onto the vineyard.
Second choocky mama managed to hatch ONE chick! :-) I have no idea what happened to the other eggs, why they went bad...the native birds were more successful with their first clutch, 4 new Gallinula grace our land
And some apple blossoms to send a smile to you, especially if on your part of the world winter is approaching

The roof is on

2009-10-11T19:57:00.002+11:00

The roof is finished, now it just have to be painted. Paul is complaining that this monkey business (climbing the trusses) is not for an old man :-)
My 4 cattle girls left for the market :-( they will be sold tomorrow. I hope they will go to good people, to a nice, lush pasture...The mothers are crying for 3-4 days...I don't like to hear it :-(
The tables in the corner are looking bare but I like their dark colour and this is just another step yet before we open fully...
Finally we had 3 days of NO rain! The soil is drying, so hopefully next week we can do something in the vineyard also.
For a cheerful ending, here are some flowers from the garden:

Bedroom walls

2009-10-04T14:26:00.004+11:00

Paul took off the roof section above the cellar.
Looks horrible at the moment :-) This is where the 2 other bedrooms will be built.
We had a shopping trip to town (Hobart IS the town, every other place is mentioned by name :-) eg: I'm going to Geeveston, I've been to Launceston etc), hunter-gathered several tables and chairs, a rangehood, a gas cooktop, a jezzy electric oven which is 2 really, shower components, a toilet and ordered some display cases for the gallery. I'm still in the research stage with coffee machines and dishwashers but the kitchen gear is taking shape now :-)
Back to my written assignments... :-( just SIX more to write...

TURN OFF THAT TAP!!!!

2009-09-26T12:49:00.006+10:00

Way toooooo much rain! Turn off that tap! NOW! We need to do the spring jobs! Look at the paddock :-( everything is muddy, soggy, squishy... there is no way Paul can drive the tractor anywhere without churning up the soil. Spring works should have started...weeding, spraying...he did spray the Ziegerrebe with the small backpack today,

they are already opening The others are at woolly bud stage
The apricots are swelling and the button mushrooms popped up in fairy rings.
The top is done on my counter and Paul started on the smaller bedrooms upstairs. To waterproof them -we can't expect a week of no rain- he did get a bargain :-)) We went to get some lino and the lady at the shop was exuberant that she can get rid of it, when Paul told her that he doesn't care about the size or the colour, he just want cheap...It IS truly the most awful design ever invented for a floor covering! :-))) Looking at it you start to feel dizzy :-) Lucky, we don't have to look at it only while the walls go up.
And finally a pic showing Sultan, our number one rooster He's an Australop.

I declare the Official St Imre Sring

2009-09-19T11:23:00.003+10:00

Finally we've finished the pruning and I can say that Spring 2009 has arrived at St Imre. The late plums are flowering and the sun is shining :-) We are eternally grateful to Mr ANZ because they've lent a bit more to us and we'll be able to finish everything and move up to the new quarters in time.
My counter is IN, though not yet has a top, only on the short side. It is made from Blackwood.
The HelpX girls weeded the narrow garden and the black tulip really stands out :-)
Now they are cleaning the rock wall under the carpark.
I'm busting my brain with essay writing about legal and ethical issues...geeez, I've spent the last 3 days solidly in front of the computer...
Bring on the tourism season! Full throttle ahead! :-)

Trip to Melbourne and Ballarat

2009-09-07T15:14:00.007+10:00

Visited Eszter and Jonathan on the weekend.
Big surprise was an early birthday present from Eszter :-) I have a brand new, jazzy, red, Canon Ixus! :-) You still can't expect me to take Jonathan-quality photos but it's a BIG improvement from my old Canon :-)
We've seen the Dali exhibition. Mindblowing! None of the reproductions can convey the vividness of his originals! If you have a chance to visit the exhibition in Melbourne, don't miss it! It's open until the beginning of next month.
We hopped down to Ballarat -they had the international photo biennial on- and spent a pleasant day. Wide streets, old buildings and exceptionally good food at retro-styled Bibo Bistro. I wanted to look up some reviews about them but could find only one :-( They deserve a MUCH wider reputation! The place's ambiance, the staff's cheerfulness, the chef's truly remarkable taste combination of fresh, local food should place them on the must visit eateries. They are only a hop-an-skip from Melbourne on a cheep train ticket.
We stayed at Rankins Lane Apartment
Birds view, coming home:
and our swallows also arrived home safely :-)
Spring is nearly here...

I managed to get pics of Samy the new steer isn't he gorgeous?
We'll be selling 3 of the last year's girls soon, so if you know someone who would like to buy our Scottish Highland, 3/4 cross cow photo-models, please inform your people that they are available at St Imre.

More pruning....

2009-08-23T11:25:00.002+10:00

More pruning...block 4 is done, though in this pic I'm only halfway with it It took me 3 days :-( The rain chased me out on day 2 so I couldn't finish it. I had to climb the mountain the third time...good exercise...not that I need any more extra...I'm walking the rows all year long.
Block 3 has some left to prune and we are nearly finished with Block 1 and 2. Any system to why here a bit and there a bit? you ask...yes, they are at different growing ages, different varieties and I try to influence budburst with the timing of the pruning.
It's not officially Spring yet :-) Not here at St Imre. To be official we need:
1. The Apricots to open their pink and the Wattles their yellow blossoms.
2. The Red Robin to start singing. (this he already started)
3. The Swallows to arrive. (this is expected around the 3-rd of September)
4. Us to finish pruning. (who knows when that will happen this year...)
Now we are off to go under the knife again. The Master will see... (No, he will not really SEE while operated on)...the surgeon to get his new left lens.

Will this rain ever stop?

2009-08-12T18:41:00.004+10:00

Today I've been pruning in the rain :-(( I can't wait with the job until the rain will stop. It's not warmer yet but spring is around the corner and I'm about halfway through the pruning.
The younger plum already started to flower and the tulips are out As you can see, the weeds are flourishing too :-) No way you can do anything in this MUD!
Lucky, Paul finished putting half of upstairs under roof. In no rain:

In rain:
Looks funny boarded in with no windows and only the front done yet but we are getting there....
The Master is working on the stairs 12 steps will lead to the upper level. Some modification needed...he miscalculated something (yes, it happens to the best of us) :-)))...the young males in our family are over 1.86 m, he doesn't want them to bow their head going to the bathroom.
We went to give the herd their 'biscuits' this morning and the bulls were very reluctant to come. This was VERY unusual. They used to thunder down the hill first...count...10, 11, 12...who is mooing there? Everybody is here. Lizi IS thinner...tits empty...backside swollen...run around the fence...there it was !!!!! New baby calf :-), another little brown teddy-bear wobbling on very new, long legs, looking for mum :-))))

The Herd

2009-07-29T18:24:00.008+10:00

Eszter ask to see the Herd :-)
Here they are, the 12 of them. They are doing well this winter, there is enough food to graze but they are getting "biscuits" too :-)) They love to eat the hay when it is cold. When they hear the ute coming, we get a few mooo-s signaling that they see us and they are THINKING :-) It takes a few minutes to process the information :-)) then everybody come running down the hill. It's impressive -and mildly frightening- how this several hundred kg thunders down on you. I always think... what if the brake will fail one day? :-)) but they inevitably put on the brakes... all 4 of it... and just centimeters from the thin, white line (the electric fence distancing us from them)... they skid to a knee-deep, muddy halt.
Sometime the bulls play-fight a bit on the way down :-) then around the hay bales there is some jostling, head pushing, horn pocking, [Only Fergus has horns. Interestingly -I expected the horn to be a dominant trait- none of his babies has it. We might be breading the Poll Highland :-) ] shoulder toss to establish ranks and decide who eats at what spot.
Here Peter has his curly head, Ibi hiding behind mum Ili.
Peter, the young bull
Fergus of Lachlan Mohr
Jazmin of St Imre :-)
and a more model photo
Lizi and the last baby,
Lenke De Sheep :-))

Pruning and house building

2009-07-25T19:33:00.004+10:00

Paul started building the house. We have to move up there ASAP. Hardly wait....Here are some pics on the progress:
Old roof coming off:
First section of the master bedroom:
View from the master bedroom :-)) it's a bit (very) dirty at the moment but...this window will be a Gothic one, like the ones at the front. other window here:
bathroom and corridor: going down to the other 2 bedrooms. Skylight for lounge and my secret storage space:
New roof structure started:
It was variable weather today so don't expect artistic photos from me :-)) I've been pruning all day, couldn't get bothered to look for right angles for the pics. My hand is still holding up, no pain yet...Chris and Candy helping pre-prune the old ones
they are doing a very good job! Thanks! Look how much they've done already...here block 1 with mama ducky who ALWAYS can get out: and here's DONE:

Paul's eyes are a bit sensitive still, he has to wear the sunglasses while working, but so far so good.
Finished another paper on OH+S. Not quiet...still 2 more pages to go but at least I know where I'm going with it and done all the research. Geeezzzz, I HATE essay writing! Did I tell you before? :-))) 3 more to do soon :-(( just the ones we know about yet...I'm not complaining though. I really love school! Pat me on the back, because I didn't have to resubmit the Communication one and I'm a veritable expert now on fire hazards and even done an evacuation plan for the business :-))
It's time to put some food on the table. Bon appetite! And Anica and Craig...yes we are thinking of you when we'll rise the glasses tonight :-)

The Master Winemaker REALLY looks like a pirate now :-)

2009-07-13T19:10:00.003+10:00

Another very busy week is behind us...
Bianka and Tamas left us, they are on their way to New Zealand, but not before they painted the wine storage and Bianka even devised some tagging system for the shelves :-) Thanks a lot !!!! We'll never forget you! Keep in touch.
We had a function. A great bunch of people celebrated a beautiful lady's birthday at St Imre. Thanks for picking us and we hope you all had a good time.
And now for the most scary and exciting event of the week...Paul had his right eye operated on. Dr F. Burgess changed his lens to alleviate the pressure building behind his cornea. He had to wear a patch over his eye for the day and we laughed ourselves silly watching the reaction of the people on the street :-)) He looked like a bikie after a bed night out :-) and he wasn't even wearing his usual bandana, only when we arrived home :-)) Look at him now: he can't deny his pirate origin :-))) Pity, the patch wasn't black :-) Doc took the facial accessory off today and the master winemaker can't believe how well he can see already!!!!! Fingers crossed, he doesn't collect an infection, because -if everything goes alright- soon he'll have the other eye done and he may not need glasses at all...
Cheers for now.

Pressing the reds

2009-06-27T11:16:00.005+10:00

It's gloomy out there again today.
But if you look the other way, the Sun peaks out from behind the clouds. Andras and Bianka took off the netting. Some are in their bags already but some are still waiting for the rain to stop. We had another 45 mm, the ground is saturated now, the old drain is gushing from under the vines and the ponds are overflowing Inside work time :-)
We bottled some barrels of the 08 Pinot Noir to make space for the new going in. Pressing is going according to script We are delighted with Bianka and Andras :-) not just because they are our first Hungarian HelpX guests but because they have restored our faith in the HelpX experience. We had a nasty, regrettable few weeks lately :-(( I was debating as to write about it publicly or not...but I think other hosts (who read my blog) have the right to know that not every guest is a honorable one! Edwin Lua from Singapore was staying with us for a month. As is my custom, I offered Lucifer to be used by him to a trip up the Hartz National Park. He drove it down Cockle Creek the previous week and they came back in their respective skins. Not this time though! They arrived on the back of the tow truck :-((( Edwin paid a grand to part-compensate for the damage he'd caused. So far so good...I was thinking he does the right thing to do and how lucky we all are that no-one was injured, only Lucifer was so smashed up that I didn't have the heart to even look at it without starting to cry :-(( ( You know, this car isn't just a 4 year old car for me! It is my very first new car I ever owned, that's because it has a name, just like all our pets.) Edwin disappeared of course :-( He wrote to me after I've sent him the 6000 dollar repair bill that I should by a secondhand car...(I suppose with the money he paid). Or (in his last email to me) if I want the rest, I should arrange for his insurance fraud!!! Now, this may be a custom in Singapore but NOT in here. And NOT in my family. Ever! We left our old country because we didn't ever wanted to participate in corruption, fraud and bribery. We never compromised our honour and integrity. Not for money, not for political reasons...So I'm mighty pissed off with Edwin !!!! Our every cent is allocated very carefully to be able to finish the cafe, the gallery and the house. The 5000 dollar he took out of our budget is a BIG hole that, being winter with not many customers and jobs for Paul, is very hard to plug in :-((
Edwin withdraw himself from HelpX, so I couldn't leave a feedback to other host about all this. This is why I've decided to write about it here, in case other hosts will look for information about him before they open their home and offer their hospitality to him.
Ohh well...I believe in Karma...what goes around cames around. His conscience might awake or let him sleep soundly for the rest of his life... and I console myself with the company of good friends.
We visited Miki, had a beaut time in his jacuzzi and laughed ourself silly around the dinner table.

Finished the harvest

2009-06-17T15:37:00.002+10:00

Finally it's over! This year's crop is safely in the cellar, some awaiting pressing, some are still merrily bubbling and some are gently settling in their containers.
We bottled a barrel of 08 Pinot but the Zork for the rest is still probably in the air, flying over the Tasman from NZ...Before bottling we sampled and tested...
Not much else to report...just normal busy days. For a change, our helpX visitors are Hungarians this time :-) Tamas is helping with the netting (they are coming down), painted the big supporting beams for the living room and today gave a hand with the intricate task of dissecting the 5 ducks that were destined to the table :-) Bianka is a first class duck plucker! :-)) and now a pro in butchering the birds.
School has started again; I've passed my OH+S and Communication tests without needing to resubmit. Phheeeewwww...

Picking the Pinot

2009-06-02T10:00:00.004+10:00

Have started picking the Pinot. Very pleased with the quality but it's much less than previous years.
Friends come to help but it was a smaller picking crew because most of our friends flew to warmer climates like migrating birds :-) We made the traditional bogracsos and had a lovely , sunny day.
The whites are nearing the end of fermentation.
Now there is more to pick -it will last some more days- so I'm off to the vineyard.

2009 Harvest (Long time since I wrote)

2009-05-23T19:52:00.004+10:00

Very busy weeks are behind and ahead of us.
I hardly have time to breathe let alone update the blog :-( School assignments are coming hard and fast and we started the harvest. So I spend my time with my head in the books and running around, up and down rows of ripe grapes.
The whites are IN, apart from the Chardonnay. They need a few more sunny days. Picking was done in 4 days with the help of Miklos from Hobart, Barbara from Austria , Edwin from Singapore and the four-legged ones.
Quantity is more. Just because this is the first year of picking from the young ones :-) Quality as better than expected! With all that rain and cold... it is a miracle sugar and acidity. Paul is busy in the cellar making them bubble (ferment) and squeak (under the press) :-))
I had to buy a new bread maker because the old one died on me. Beauuuut...this is the result.
The native hens managed a new brood :-) Third this year! This time 5 chicks. As you can see from the pic the national menace to all wildlife (aka. the cat) doesn't even rise an eyebrow to the presence of bite size chicks disturbing her morning cleaning ritual :-)
By for now. I have to go back to writing my therapeutic communication assignment (gee...don't I hate essay writing ?!) and next week we start picking the reds.

For the young and young at heart

2009-05-10T10:32:00.002+10:00

Happy Mother's Day!
My one is happy because our daughter and son will be home :-)) Esz arrived last night and Jan will drive down later today.
We'll start picking next week.
And now I'd like to introduce you to the new website of Cult-of-Pop. Check it out and send their link to your friends :-) I love their sense of humor and the cool things they introduce daily. I'm really not biased! :-)) See it for yourself...

Harvest time approching

2009-05-02T12:39:00.003+10:00

It well and truly Autumn now but Winter gave us a hint last week powdering the nose of Adamson's, preparing her for the ball ahead.
I didn't have my camera with me, so apologies, this was taken with someone's phone and just doesn't capture the spectacular sight it was :-(
The Fly Agarics popped up their heads under the plum tree. It's obvious they are not poisonous to snails and slugs because I haven't seen any galloping around in drugged frenzy :-)))
The latest fashion colours are modeled by the wild grapes under the windows
and the apricots next to Block 2.
The cats are lazing around on the roof
Nice sunny days. We need a few more of them to get the grapes ready to harvest.

Doing the tests

2009-04-25T12:58:00.003+10:00

I've started the tests on the grapes. They are getting there slowly :-) Take a peek into my refractometer This is the sugar (measured in Brix) for the Gewürztraminer. 2 more weeks to picking. The pH is dropping fast but still within good parameters. If need be, Paul said he'll blend it with some Chardonnay to give more acidity but due to our climate down here, we never had problem with acidity. If anything, it used to be way too acidic then not enough :-)
We are very proud parents this week!!!! :-))) Eszter was nominated for the biggest award in her industry and Janos signed the papers with Rachel for their very own first house :-)

What has been sold out

2009-04-17T11:00:00.002+10:00

Just a quick note that the 08 Gewürztraminer, the 08 Possum Piss and the 07 Tiger Blood has been sold out.
The 08 Tiger Blood is expected to be available from June.

Happy Easter !!!!

2009-04-11T15:47:00.003+10:00

We wish you a Happy Easter ! with the bounty of this basket, picked this morning.

We hope the Bunny brings plenty of colourful eggs and you will have a happy holiday spent with family and good friends :-)
Outside, in the bay many small boats litter the water. It's the annual Dover Regatta.
The boys nearly finished the roof of the builder's shed, only the ridge is missing yet.
We had a function last week to celebrate the Far South Tourism Network's effort in promoting our area. This is the display rack and the FSTN website that the group commissioned with the help of the Tourism Promotion Plan grant.
Jody from England arrived last night and we planted out the pencil pines under the windows.
Cheers and happy holidays...

Roof structure and walls for shed

2009-04-05T11:59:00.005+10:00

The roof rafters are up and the boys finished cladding the wall. Paul used cement sheets for the walls, they are the ones you commonly use for bathroom floors. Cheap... -ish, durable, not flammable, waterproof and a nice smooth platform for the paint.
I've plucked off a bit more leaves from the Chardonnay rows. See how the grapes compensated for the already picked leaves? They grew small side shoots and turned their leaves outward to cover the fruit. Now I've exposed them again With this current rainy, gloomy, no-Sun days Paul thinks they need to be exposed more to ripen the fruit. Meteo predicts SNOW for tonight! Down to 600 meters. It'll be a far way off from us but it'll be COLD tonight.
We used little clips this year to connect the netts. It made the job easier, quicker and only the outside rows had to be pegged to the ground.
Mili gave birth to a healthy calf! The new "teddy" calf already runs around the neighbour's HUGE paddock like a gazelle :-)) I have no idea how we'll be able to catch it to ring him...now this IS a boy. Or so Paul thinks :-)
And just a pic of one of our little tree in flower.

Shed building is coming along well

2009-03-28T13:11:00.004+11:00

The roof is going on.

I can see the day nearing when my future living room will be cleaned of all the woodworking workshop equipment, bits-end-pieces of timber, wood shavings and the ever present, blanketing-all sawdust... :-))
Eddy went for a walk down to the wharf and took a few nice pics.
We had old friends visiting from Melbourne :-) Didn't see each other for 7 years. Melbourne is on an other island. THAT far, isn't it? :-)
Walking up the hill picking blackberries we met a nice couple bushwalking on the Tasmanian Trail which runs through our property and ends on the neighbour's.

Netting the vineyard

2009-03-25T11:13:00.004+11:00

Busy-busy week.
We finished netting the vineyard.
Jan did came down for 3 days to help.
It went smoothly, we are professionals now :-)
The shed walls are up also, the boys are working on the roof now.
School was fun :-)... learned -among other things- how to change a hospital bed with the patient in it and started the anatomy lectures. Heaps of info to wrap your brain around it but I find it easy after studying it at uni before.

Vintage 2009

2009-03-15T16:39:00.005+11:00

We started vintage 2009 !
Picked the Ziegerrebe today. Not much on them yet, they are very young grapes, but we hope it was worth the trouble :-) The small press is ready to start work this year. Berries in the bin waiting for pressing.
Septic tank buried before the big rain. 40 mm overnight filled the Plum Pond to overflow
Garlic heads cut. I'll clean them nicely later and will be selling them from the shop. You'll need them against Vampires! :-)) and this place has a medieval image with Transylvanian owners. It's fitting to sell some garlic, not?
Ales finished the garden bed wall He's done an excellent work! Thanks Ales, we'll miss you when you leave our place! He's repainting the veranda now.

Started netting

2009-03-09T10:36:00.004+11:00

The Ziegerrebe is ripening fast :-) lucky, the birds didn't discover it because we had only a bit of netting left over from the previous years. Ordered the new ones from Melbourne -here in Tassie we couldn't find the width we were after- but who knows when it'll arrive... This was enough for 4 rows, the rest just have to wait....no big bird pressure yet.
This morning though I've heard the walnut thief screeching :-)) the first sulphur-crested cockatoo thinks the time is right to raid the trees.
Ian came down with his incredible work! They were hang Saturday. The pics don't do justice to his work. It is very hard to make a good photo against the light coming through those church windows :-) and the glittering "blings" on the works reflect the flash back badly. ( Jonathan, this will be your job to solve :-) )
Yoann and Ales started on the garden wall Yoann and Delphine left to fly around Au -literally, as he is a glider pilot :-) Ales is an exceptionally hard worker! :-) He'll finish it in no time...

Paul's birthday present

2009-03-03T09:11:00.002+11:00

I can't help but brag about my new discovery !
Yoann mentioned the Clef Du Vin in a recent conversation which was so intriguing that I've jumped on Google straight from the dinner table to find it.
And you can guess what Paul is getting for his birthday... :-))
He MUST have it!

End of Summer?

2009-03-01T13:02:00.004+11:00

By the look of it we HAD Summer ...
Slowly the berries go into veraison. This is the Baco which is always the first to colour. We have to net them ASAP before Number 1 Enemy (birds) discovers them :-) Number 2 (wasps) must have been wiped out by the winter cold. So far I've seen only 3 flying around...good!... cross fingers they will not be in plague proportion like last year x x x x x x ...The other varieties are way off yet and this year 's berries will be very small, promising exceptional quality but much less then last year. All of them set the berries uneven, as you can see from the pics. We know that there was no microelement deficiency in the soil so I think it was caused by the prolonged flowering due to unusually cold weather at Spring.
Hang some paintings on the gallery walls, Danny's and Eszter's and Ian will bring his works sometime in the coming weeks. Our first exhibition is stirring in my mind...but before we'll have everything just how I imagine it, I'm not getting excited... :-)
The boys (P. and Yoann from France) are cutting firewood and put down the floor of the new shed. Development plans were handed in to council and the girls (Isabelle and Delphine from France) are harvesting the garlic. HUGE ones! It was a good crop this year also. We'll be able to sell some like last year.

Preparations for the septic system

2009-02-22T20:29:00.004+11:00

Paul shaved off a few cubic meter of earth again from the side of the hill to make the terrace where the septic system's pipe will be laid. Dug the trenches and the tank and the pipes arrived.
We are picking the last of the apricots. Had heaps of fruit this year.
The French onions keep growing and we did a choock swap with Jozsi :-) His 1 rooster and 2 hens took to grazing/scratching at the neighbours. Neighbours changed. Choocks and rooster faced the execution block. Our 1 choock is eating the eggs she lays. Rooster went with her to not be lonely :-) Also a drake. 3 for 3. Change of scenery, farm...they might work out well and all of them escaped the slaughter :-) Here Jozsi's flock wouldn't find the neighbours. They are several hundred meters away.
My ones will be so confused on his paddock that she will lay her egg squatting down where the urge will hit and she will have a hard time finding the spot next day in Jozsi's jungle :-)
No dramas this week.
Isabelle is progressing well with the leaf plucking. We had a surprise visit from dear friends from Pemberton, WA, it was nice to catch up on news from our former town.
Ohhh...and I've been admitted to nursing school. Start next month.

Digging ourself deep

2009-02-14T13:01:00.003+11:00

Literally. And figuratively speaking also :-)
Literally... the hole is done for the vegie cellar.
It's not very big but it will be big enough to house the harvest and -in case of a fire storm- to serve as a temporary shelter.
You have all seen and read about the fires in Victoria. Our thoughts and sympathy are with the affected communities!
Paul is digging the site for the septic system.

Figuratively... our bank was generous and we managed to dig ourself deeper into debt. But now I not only dream about but I actively research to buy espresso machines, commercial dishwashers etc.... which will grace my kitchen.
The berries are growing nicely.
Isabelle from France is helping with the leaf plucking. BIG help, thanks Isa! She's a country girl! She knows the difference between a potato and an apple tree! :-)) and we were hunting for special cheeses for special dishes.

Hot weather makes the berries grow

2009-02-06T10:16:00.004+11:00

Last week's hot weather was pumping the berries :-) they are growing at a visible rate :-) All are very healthy, there is not much disease pressure. Paul just sprayed them again yesterday, ahead of the predicted rain. He didn't have to spray for more than 30 days :-) Hopefully one more spray will be enough this year, he'll do it before we net them next month.
He finished cutting the tops of, the vineyard is looking picture perfect :-)) It's a pleasure to walk the rows.
He's done the pad for the new shed where he'll move the woodworking workshop and all the timber currently stashed under the House. Note, that I'll call the cellardoor building The House from now on :-)) I'm itching in my skin to move up there ASAP :-) While digging dirt from the side of the hill to fill up the pad's location, he had a 'sparkling' idea :-))...this hole will be my vegetable cellar! Properly underground. For the spuds, carrots, cabbages, apples, pears...
The sun shines, the Plum Pond finally seems to hold its water, , the Redhot Pokers are visited by the honey-eaters, the Gallinula Mortierii (native hens) had their morning bath and we have visitors to the cellardoor daily now :-)
All is well at St Imre!

Happy Chinese New Year to all of our Asian friends!

2009-01-26T13:36:00.005+11:00

Happy Chinese New Year !!!!!!!

(painting of Lin Yue )

Though not as elaborate as Claire would have it among her family home but we had a veritable feast last night :-)
We've been up to Hobart to pick up Max and Sharon from USA who will join us for nearly 2 weeks on HelpX. After arriving, Claire started cooking for us all. Max joined in with some creative interpretation on the dumpling making :-) and Sharon provided the conversation topics while the dumplings boiled.
There was a chicken dish also but we missed out on the whole fish. Claire was too shy to ask me to get it in Hobart and by the time we set down to discuss in depth her customs on Chinese New Year, there was no place to buy a whole fish.
Everything was delicious! Thanks Claire!
The wines I've sent to Hong Kong got there just before the new year celebration began :-)

Boring you with yet another hike...

2009-01-22T19:59:00.004+11:00

Yuko from Japan and Claire from Taiwan are staying with us now. We drove up to the Hartz and hiked 2 hours. Unfortunately the weather wasn't kind to us today and the howling gale and icy wind turned us back from the foot of the summit :-(
But the flora compensated ( the waratahs, the cushion grass and every other plant is in flower) and on the way home we pick up boxes of cherries and apricots. Yummmm....

Sour cabbage

2009-01-21T16:00:00.004+11:00

Finally we harvested the cabbages and pickled them. They were HUGE! but -most shredded - we could fit all in the pickling barrel.
I use the same formula as for cucumbers. Just salt, spices and herbs. It will take a few weeks for it to go through the fermentation process before it will be ready to eat as it is or used in cooking.
Otherwise last week was like all the others. Work, changing weather, work and some more work :-) It's nice being out in the vineyard. The grapes finished flowering, set the fruit nicely, now they just need sunshine and a bit of warmth to grow. We have plenty of water in the ground, they'll be OK even if will not rain for a month.
I've finished arranging them all under the 3-rd foliage wire, Paul slashed the grass between the rows and he's preparing to spray today, if the wind stops.
The hay is cut. We had 300 bales. We'll sell most of it because the 11 head of cattle doesn't need this much for winter. ( YES, we have a new calf :-) Another brown teddy-bear, this time to Ili, who is the smaller one of the twins.)

Duck Hole Lake and Russell Falls

2009-01-11T10:39:00.007+11:00

It's good that visitors twist our arms to stop working and smell the roses :-)
Eszter wanted to do the Duck Hole lake walk (where that girl, few weeks back, got lost and the helicopter woke us again at 2 AM flying over the house...she was found safe next day! I'm saying "again" because unfortunately it's a frequent thing in our part of the world that visitors underestimate the seriousness of our backyard. It doesn't look that threatening to wander off the path but within minutes you can get disorientated and lost! Your city sneakers easily slip off the rounded, wet stones or your feet get trapped between gnarly tree-roots breaking your ankle if you fall. The rescue chopper came out twice this week.) This is the lake at the foot of Adamson's Peak. DON'T wander further up the hill! The track ENDS there. It's not signposted further up and the path leads to nowhere from there! It was trodden by other foolish visitors who don't ask for local advise before walking into the wilderness.
You can't get lost at Russell Falls ... ... only if you try very hard :-)) We went with Eszter and Jonathan to check out the Mt. Field NP and drive up to lakes Pedder and Gordon.
Horse Shoe Fall at Mt.Field On the way up we met some locals :-) An echidna busily looking for food and a trout doing the same in a fast flowing creek a small lake and some unusual, fluffy flowers
Next week will be Bruny Island with helpx guest Tammy.
The hand basin in the wash room is ready , so are the cabbages to pick and pickle. They are HUGE ! The biggest cabbages I've ever seen, let alone grow them :-))
Paul is preparing the site for the new shed which will house the wood workshop. He has to move everything out of my living room! :-))

Last week of 2008

2009-01-02T09:58:00.005+11:00

It was very busy :-)
Paul installed the kitchen doors and windows and the vanity Since then it has the splash-back tiled.
We went down to Lune River to board the Ida Bay railway It was a pleasant trip through the forest, down to the sea.
The nurses from our small hospital came to celebrate Christmas at St Imre :-) They were full of prise for my first function, despite the less then perfect "function venue" :-) Proper chairs and tables are still in Paul's head, not even drawn on paper yet :-) They will be made in time...he doesn't do drawings :-) I'll see them only when he will start making them.
Later that day we had our family dinner Nice Chrissy this year! We had everybody home in Tassie :-)
Jonathan arrived for New Year's Eve.
They went to climb Mount Wellington today and we'll be driving to Lake Pedder tomorrow.
New additions to St Imre fauna were brought out by their parents from the marshes
4 new black balls of fluff hatched :-)

Adamson's Peak Hike

2008-12-21T18:46:00.006+11:00

Some of us from the Far South decided to do the Adamson's Track this morning. It's on our map I hand out and people are asking about it. How can I give advise if I haven't been up there yet? :-))
It is described as a Category 3 track, for experienced climbers only. It IS hard going :-) All the way up to the plateau -3 hours- there are relentless steps going up and up..... Some places the steps were at my waist hight. In some parts it is ascending in a creek bed or over marshy spots , necessitating gaiters and waterproof boots. Near the plateau -where the hut's ruins are - little waterfalls fill your bottle with crystal-clear, cold water. I didn't go further from the hut because my leg muscles would've needed a slower ascent :-)) From there it's another 2 hours across the plateau and a smaller ascent to the summit with 360 degrees views over the Far South.
At the hut I've opened the St. Imre Tiger Blood :-)) and my friends took up what was left to the summit . Coming down took 2 hours. Found it easy albeit -across the muddy spots- my boots slipping sometimes. The forest is magnificent! At the lower parts remains of the giant trees still bear the scars the forestry boys cut for their stepping pegs 60-80 years ago. Flowering small bushes , lichens , many type of mosses and ferns ..... the serenity broken only occasionally by a rustle of a lizard or a bird calling.
Stopped at many places to take photos but now I've done it, I will take up the family, next time to the summit, to show the iconic mountain in our backyard :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-20T16:50:00.004+11:00

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous, Blessed, Happy New Year to every one of my readers!!!

Geeezz...are you all organized yet? I'm spinning...
Presents: ticked; cards, e-cards sent, ticked; food: half in the pantry; turkey: ticked; ham on order, to be picked up Tuesday; cakes' ingredients still in the shops but at least I've decided what to bake; Christmas trees (1 for house, 1 for cellardoor):..the birds are probably still singing on them... Tue. also; drinks: that's easy...open the door in the cellar :-); decorating: I have no idea...somebody will do it...
Paul installed the screen for the small stairs
this will be behind my counter.
Kitchen tiled Tick :-)
EFTPOS machine arrived but when I move it loses the phone connection. No tick here :-(( I'll have to call Bank and sort it out.
I've made peace with Au Post. Tick. After another saga -this time shorter- finally I'm connected to the right people :-)
Bottled the whites also. Tick. Nick and Nikki from hong Kong helped
Houdini couldn't elude me. Tick. Here SHE is with mum and some of the herd SHE, because I think it's a heifer :-)) We couldn't get close enough yet to be absolutely certain. Paul must have seen the umbilical cord...:-))) AND we have an other calf, born to Piroska on Tuesday. Paul named her Ibi. No photo yet and I just might want to take a closer good look before I concede to that name! :-)))

Nearly there...

2008-12-12T10:46:00.003+11:00

We had a good week :-)
Progress on the building is going well and the rain let up enough to allow us to do some work in the vineyard.
I'm doing the weed killing, shoot thinning and the lifting of first wires are done.
Paul slashed the grass between the rows, oiled the floor: and close to finish with tiling. This is the toilet, the grouting on the skirting isn't finished yet:
Toilet without the skirting:
Kitchen:
Houdini is still in the hiding :-)) next week I hope to get a picture of him...
10 new ducklings hatched and one of the hens is sitting.
Had some happy customers and a function booking for Christmas :-)
Thanks to my readers who signed up as followers!!!

Small wineries "etiquette"

2008-12-06T12:24:00.003+11:00

One of my readers mentioned that he -so far- avoided going into a small winery because he feels he doesn't know what's the custom. Do you phone before or just knock on the door? Are they open even if no signs are out? What to expect?...so here is my 2 cent worth :-)
This is based on my experience visiting many small wineries and how my visitors behave when knocking on our cellardoor.
I'm not an etiquette expert :-) so feel free to correct me or add anything you think it might be useful for novice cellar crawlers.

Dilemma (D from here): They have a sign out with OPEN on it. Resolution (R form here): This is too easy :-) just wander in.
D: No OPEN sign, only their name. R: Is it a reasonable hour? 10 am - 5pm... or you have just waken up and want champagne for breaky... have a sunset BBQ on the beach and run out of piss? No worries mate! Try your luck. If they are home, they probably will be more than happy to show off their wines at any hour. Any sales at any hour help to pay for that tractor repair...
D: Phone or not to phone? R: Not necessary but if you have their number whip out that mobile 15 minutes before you turn up to let a bit of time for the poor farmer to clamber down the hill from the vineyard, wipe his mouth from his lunch, kick the dog out, wrench that stainless steel tank out of the way or tidy up that tasting area to be presentable for your esteemed visit.
D: You couldn't phone, you are at the door and there is deathly silence R: Make a noise. Slam the car door, toot your horn, start singing...and wait a bit before you drive off in a huff. He might be on his tractor spraying or vacuuming the carpet. He didn't hear you arriving. Don't wander around the property. You might get zapped by the electric fence, the Head of their Security might taste your calf or the resident snake will get angry. If after a few minutes you hear only the birds singing, you can safely assume that nobody is home. Oh well, next time...
D: He comes running and ushers you into the tasting room R: You might find written somewhere that tasting is free or they charge 2-5 $ for it. If no writing on the wall, assume: free. His problem if he has to ask for it :-) The fee covers all the wines tasted and usually it is to compensate for his time and for his wine that you didn't drink but he opened the bottles for you and now he has to sacrifice it by drinking it himself. This sounds fun to you but he will not get paid for it! He doesn't have 20 customers a day to empty a bottle for tastings and wine doesn't stay the same opened longer then 2 days even in a fridge. I use carbon dioxide on opened bottles but I can't afford yet to buy a -damn expensive- professional wine saver :-( I haven't seen it yet at any of the small places.
D: Buy or not to buy R: At most places the tasting fee is 'refunded' aka. calculated into the price of the wine you buy, so the tasting was free if you buy. If you do not intend to buy, pay the tasting fee upfront. (But why did you visit a small winery when you can get sloshed free at a big one?) You have tasted all his offerings and you didn't like any of them? You buy at least 1 bottle of his cheapest. Uncle Bob will like it for Christmas :-)
D: You're talking to the winemaker directly or his wife/son/daughter/mother-in-low not a badly trained staff member. He knows a lot about wine. Pretend or not pretend? R:If you are just tentatively straying off you Beer Path, own up :-) He will be happy to teach you and infect you with his enthusiasm for wine. No shame in learning! You have to meander your way through several hundred bottles on the Wine Path before you'll be able to know your dark berries from wet barnyard floor :-) It is an Eureka moment when you distinctly recognize a wine aroma. It happened to me with a Gewürztraminer. It smelled sooo lychee that I had a picture in my mind of the luscious fruit cut in half, white flash glistening :-)
D: Can you ask for a discount? R: If you are buying at least 6 bottles you can!

Any other dilemmas? Yours truly is here to answer it :-))
Don't deprive yourself of the pleasure of learning, discovering obscure wine varieties or just talking to the farmer/winemaker directly. Go on! Knock on that cellardoor!

It's a BOY!

2008-12-03T12:05:00.003+11:00

No, not a human one, a 4 legged one :-)
We are pleased to announce the safe arrival of Hudini Of St Imre, bull calf of Rozsika Of St Imre.
They are over grazing at the neighbour's and last afternoon Rozsika was complaining very loudly, attracting my attention. Paul climbed the mountain, confirmed that she did give birth, her udder is over-full and no baby to be found. She is looking for it, franticly calling and walking up and down...It's 8 o'clock already, the sun is setting, but we jump in the car and drive over around where it is easier to climb the hill...looking under every clump of grass, clambering over every blackberry bush...NO calf. Did the devils eat it? Did it wander into the forest? Did it fell into a crevice?...in the pitch dark we drive home deflated and worried. Rozsika stops calling in about half on hour. She must of found the little bugger! First thing this morning Paul prepares to claim again...but fined the whole herd happily dozing around the lake :-))) Baby included! When Paul wants to take a closer look at him, he jumps up and runs for his life with dancing steps, sure as a gazelle, into the cover of willow trees... :-))) So hence his very apt name of Hudini. I have no pictures yet but I'll soon corner the 3 days old, little brown beast!!!!
We have steady progress everywhere.
The floor is sanded, (here just after the first layer), I've started Block 1 with the shoot thinning, back labels arrived, posted the wines to Hong Kong, a new batch of ducklings hatched, Fumi left because he found paid work at the back neighbor's apple orchard, Rachel IS a P driver -she obtained her licence last week! :-)) and I have a new gadget - a birthday present from them- a digital photo frame :-)
And it is still raining every day!

This week

2008-11-26T22:08:00.004+11:00

There was enough rain for a whole month now! We need a bit of sunshine to get on with the works.
Paul and Fumi are pulling out the grow wires in block 1. Not much left to do now but I have to get another roll as they've run out again :-)
We have done a bit of labeling ... until we also run out of supply. Eszter is printing the next batch of back labels. Very organized we are...It's really hectic here this time of the year even without building a cellardoor and new house :-)
Serra is taking off the new shoots which grew since last time we de-budded and I'm spraying the weeds everywhere I find them.
Not all work though :-) The young ones were out hiking
and also took a bunch of photos from our backyard. Here is Adamson's Peak, Dover's own Mount Fuji in the rays of the setting Sun.
They seem to be fascinated by what I'm cooking :-) so some dishes make it to the internet for you to join around our table. Osso Bucco with semolina , lamb shank with cabbages , sour cherry cake
The new brood of duckies are growing but at 2 days old it's hard to step up to the nest :-))
And last for today, Possum Kitty said: Good By

Shoot thinning

2008-11-20T10:21:00.004+11:00

I've started thinning the shoots in block 2. This year it is necessary to do it. In other years, leaf plucking -later in the season- usually is enough to open up the canopy to sunlight, but this year they are pushing out many unproductive shoots from the bases of the spurs. This would make the canopy more prone to diseases and would shade the fruit, delaying ripening. It's a long, tedious job I'm not looking forward to -it takes me 2 hours to do a short row- but hey...we are making quality wines here ! :-) This job done is one of the differences what distinguishes us from the run-of-the-mill, big company, bottle shop wines.
Here they are before:
and after thinning:
Sometimes I see on the customer face that he/she was expecting our prices to be cheaper (and I'm talking here not just about us but nearly all of the Tasmanian wine producers). Please ask "why?" I'm glad to explain all the work we do here, for you to understand why we can't sell a bottle for 5 $ :-) We have around 8500 grapes in about 100 rows ...just the shoot thinning takes 2 hours each row...we planted them into the nursery... planted them out into the rows... squatted/bent down to every one -twice per year- for 3 years to prune, train/tie to the wire, select shoots, protect and nurture...when they are up on the grow wire we prune, kill the weeds, spry, de-bud the trunks, thin the shoots, put up the 3 sets of foliage wires at different times (we have about 40 Km ! of foliage wire), de-bud the trunks again, weed kill again, leaf pluck, spray -for the 4-th time- again, spread out the nets, pick the grapes and take off the nets... and I'm sure I've left out some other jobs we do but I can't recall now :-)) And this is only the vineyard part :-) The work in the winery is another page in our books...
And here is one of the result:
Fumi from Japan is helping with installing the foliage wires and he finished punching in the nails in the floor before sending and oiling.
Serra from Taiwan painted the skirting boards
At the cellardoor Jim, the electrician, is wiring in the lights and power points. The picture rails are up, the Plum Pond is filling nicely
the Native Hens introduced their new brood
All 4 chicks are grown and well :-) and we visited Inverawe gardens in Margate. Here are some pics of their flowers:

Some progress

2008-11-10T11:13:00.004+11:00

the lights arrived from Melbourne, we picked them up and this week we'll have the electrician to wire them in.

Chose the sinks for the kitchen, decided on the dishwasher, bought the toilet, ordered the tiles
trimmings around the ceiling, doors and windows are done
Serra form Hong Kong arrived and she is helping with all this varnishing, painting, oiling...
planted out the gherkin seedlings
new lot of ducklings hatching
Paul remodeled the Plum Pond. Again! If it'll still leak I'll SCREAM! :-))))
new phone finally working!
Jonathan shot Eszter...with the new camera...(what were you thinking?? :-))) )

Some of Sara's pics

2008-11-04T10:46:00.005+11:00

Sara from Canada left yesterday and she sent some pics she took while here.
Our animals:

The vineyard, winery, wines and Sara working:

Far South scenery:

Debudding and dumpling making

2008-11-01T10:26:00.002+11:00

All week we were working on de-budding the trunks of the grapes. It's going well, not much left to finish. Tracy helped and while she was working in block 4 the neighbors' horses came over and asked for some 'better grass' :-)
We had nightly cooking lessons, here we're making chinese dumplings
and the result...
She left for Melbourne to fly out home next week and Sara arrived from Canada.
We buried Timur on the hill at the Robinia forest. He is sleeping with his teddies and bunnies, his soul watching over us, protecting us to eternity...I still cry every day...
But life goes on......the native hens hatched 4 fluffy balls of chicks. It's their first brood, they were quiet successful. 2 of our hens and 3 ducks are still sitting on eggs.
We bought the timber for the under-windows shelves and the pendant lamps.
Have a happier weekend then we have and give a pat on its boofy head if you have a dog...

Timur died this morning !

2008-10-26T10:49:00.002+11:00

Timur was hit by a car between 5 and 7 AM this morning. He died instantly by the force of the impact. We are in the 60 km zone. It's Sunday morning. The driver didn't brake, didn't swerve and didn't have the decency to let us know...
I'm too upset to write anything more this week...

Winter on it's last leg

2008-10-21T19:59:00.004+11:00

Miserable weather :-((( raining and it IS cold. This is the time of year when we get the last really cold days. No frost at our place but down in Southport the grass was white yesterday morning. I waited with planting out anything that is sensitive to frost but we managed to sow the dwarf beans and plant some more garlic. The cucumbers went into pots in the hothouse, just in case....
I was running like a headless chook all week :-) To Huonville to tourism meeting (discussed the Green TEA project), to Southport (at Barbara's discussed the promo panels for Far South), to Hobart -several times- on taxi duties...bringing Paul home after he drove up with all his gear (truck, tractor, excavator, post driver etc.), the kids -to and fro- to camp a few days at Cockle Creek, HelpX guest Tracy who arrived Saturday...
Here are some photos...sad colours of Esperance Bay
not much more cheerful Ida Bay but a few minutes later the Sun came out and lit the nearby farm

Melbourne weekend

2008-10-15T12:03:00.003+11:00

Finally the phone cable is in and buried but it's not working yet.
Ha-ha, you thought that it is THAT simple! Only 3 weeks and you have a working phone??!! Too long a saga to bore you with it. Let me just say that it's not Telstra and is not the contractor who is mucking things up but the people in between. Yes, you call Telstra that you want a new connection, you are given a job number...they call the ORGANIZERS...they call the contractor...job done. Unless job number and your phone number is lost in the system. Not the new one! The old one. Or they looking for you in ADELAIDE ...????? Now the middle bit is connected. And the end bit. Just the start bit needs connecting...They will call within 24 hours to let you know when...4 days later...tomorrow Paul has to call them AGAIN! But at least now we and the ducks don't have to jump over the abyss.
The wall painting is progressing gallery, toilet and store room are done, kitchen smoothed to receive the paint
Friday we flew over to Melbourne to visit Eszter
Went out to Jim's Greek Tavern
...the food was excellent, plenty and around 30 $/person and they don't charge corkage !
Traveled light but couldn't resist a purple pair of shoes and a bottle of Hungarian grappa... :-))) A girl has to have her shoes ! and checking out the competition liquid-vise is always an obligation :-))

Usual Spring week

2008-10-05T12:47:00.003+11:00

My orchid opened its petals.
I's a joy to look at from the kitchen window :-)
The button mushrooms coming up in fairy circles all over the farm
Little duckies were let out from the nursery. They are big enough now to have a chance of running and hiding from the predatory birds' sharp eyes. They LOVE the water :-)) Mummy duck led them into the pond... first they all pattered around at the edges then, seeing Mum swimming out, they followed her...discovered they can duck underwater...all went into a frenzy of wing slapping, ducking-jumping...then run out very frightened of their own racket :-)) Now they are pros! Majestically gliding about on the pond.
The grapes are opening the second set of leaves. Paul managed to spray them between howling gales and spitting rain :-)
Pierre fixed the clips for the wires onto the posts in ALL the young plantation. Thanks Pierre! we really appreciate your help.
Run up to Hobart a few times to get the bits and pieces...wall trimmings, screws, paint, planting pots for the flowers...
Happy Spring! I'm off to pick those mushies...:-))

Palinka (grappa) licence granted :-)

2008-09-28T12:39:00.004+10:00

Our palinka (grappa) licence was granted this week !!!!!! :-))
Now Paul has to make the still and Eszter has to design the labels for it. I don't know how long that will be because both are busy with other things but I'd like to have them ready by the time we finish the cellardoor/gallery interior.
We are at this stage now ...ordered the "trimmings" for the walls and the picture rails.
I've found online the large Gothic pendant lights we want to use on the ceiling and the supplier in Hobart for the Jotul heater.
The pear trees opening their flowers and my Hungarian flat-head cabbages are growing nicely
Small -at least I hope they will recover- farm drama this week was the mysterious disappearance of all leaves from half the newly planted Poplars...careful detective work (me on my all fours, nose to the ground) revealed round and longish footprints... small and big chew marks...BLOODY possums! ...and/or wallabies! They don't have enough fruit trees to munch on?????? ...meticulously trimmed off...EVERY bloody leaf!
We have Pierre from France on HelpeX with us now. He helped plant the garlic, the red onions and the potatoes.
He's off to explore the South... I'm off now to start making Hajnalka's famous Poppy Seed-Grapefruit cake... :-)))

Where to buy St Imre wine

2008-09-24T09:39:00.006+10:00

I'm pleased to let you know that now our wines can be bought online at Boutique Wineries.
And in Melbourne you find them in Brighton Fine Wines, 410 New St. Brighton.
These places are our exclusive outlets for some varieties and vintages.
Because Paul makes a very limited number of bottles from some variety, those are available only from the cellardoor, here in Dover. So if you would like to taste the "limited editions" you are invited to visit the Far South, the End of Australia :-)
We had a Pig Processing day this week :-)
Made sausages
and white puddings
The hocks and hams are in the smoker but I've baked some sausages
and steamed some white puddings
If you want me to publish the recipes let me know....

It's officialy Spring at St Imre

2008-09-20T09:57:00.004+10:00

Spring officially arrived with the first swallows! :-)
That black spot IS a swallow :-) First only one arrived then by the afternoon 4 more landed safely home.
The whole length of the property is dug up in anticipation of Telstra coming to connect the phoneline It's filling with falling rain...The Telstra technician come out to do his part but the contractor who supposed to lay the cables isn't that quick...10 working days to answer your queries...repeated 5 times in answer to Paul's nice urging...and the receptionist slammed the phone down on him! "Not happy Jane!!!!!"
The plasterboards arrived also and Paul finished half the walls.

The skylight is installed it is double glassed, a clear one on top and an opaque on the ceiling side.
Finally the Plum Pond is collecting water It is still leaking a bit but it's not a torrent :-) AND the frogs didn't lay their eggs yet :-))
All the newly planted poplars are doing well and the robinias are opening their leaves.
Weedkilling was done and now I have to run, we are making the sausages :-)) We bought a pig yesterday. From the abattoir. Cut in 2...not a live one :-)

Poplar planting

2008-09-13T19:39:00.005+10:00

Planted the poplars around the property to act as a windbreak.
Nice, big saplings, already opening their leaves.
Paul had to use the sprayer to water them in because they are far from any water source. Then they were watered by the rain also later that night.
The grapes preparing their woolly buds and the first batch of ducklings are growing well, thank you very much :-)) 2 other mummy ducks are sitting also.
And -as if we didn't have enough animals already- we are looking after Ruby the Bunny until the kids can have a house with a backyard :-)))
There were also buying trips to Hobart to get insulation and plasterboard for the gallery, hand- wash basin from Zsolt, the ceramic artist and ordering the bottles and labels for the new vintage.

Another week of Springtime works

2008-09-08T11:53:00.003+10:00

It was a busy week.
Paul is preparing the soil for the poplar planting. He finished putting on the second grow-wires for the Gewürztraminers (my Pimadonnas), tightened the old foliage wires in the whole vineyard, sprayed out the herbicide and slashed the grass between the rows. He dug up the veggie garden - the garlics should have been in the ground by now...and raked the 08 Pinot. He's happy with them :-)) good colour, good flavor...the new yeast he used this year proving to be better then expected :-))
I'm tying the cordons of the Pimadonnas. Sill have 13 rows to go :-((( The buds started to swell -they are the earliest to start- and I'm wincing whenever I brush one off... So much work with this variety....and they produce the least...If they don't repay my extra work they'll be thrown out! Overgrafted soon....
Our swallows didn't return yet :-((( They used to arrive on the 3-rd of September. I'm looking and listening for them...hope they return safely!
No big farm dramas this week...only the neighbor's steers decided to come over...the grass is always greener on the neighboring pasture :-)...it was easy to shepard them back. We found out that Gondor probably died of liver fluke :-(( It is not supposed to be present in the Huon Valley! Allegedly, wood ducks transported it here. By the time the animal is too ill we can't do anything about it :-(( A farmer lost 12 animals here...The vets should have known what's happening...Now I have to find out if this is a one-off thing or we have to drench our animals to prevent it from now on forever....

Sleep well Old Gondor !

2008-09-01T09:27:00.005+10:00

We are very sad... :-((
Old Gondor died Thursday night.
Paul brought her over to the coral from the paddock where she was grazing. She just didn't have the strength to stand up any more :-(( We used her sling to hoist her up and to turn her around several times a day. She accepted feed and drink, ruminated, was alert, shown no sign of disease...no fever, no signs of pain...we don't know why and how she deteriorated so quickly when all the others are OK.
She was 10 year old, which is oldish for a cow, but this age alone should not prevent her from carrying her pregnancy to full, normal term.
She just went to sleep and didn't wake up. She is buried in front of the coral where she had her last apple feast and we'll plant an apple tree in her memory.
She gave us 7 calves. Lizi, her latest and one only daughter, will carry her genes further.

Sleep well Old Gondor! Look over the herd from the pasture in the sky!

Farm drama

2008-08-25T09:34:00.004+10:00

Pruning was interrupted Saturday morning when Paul found old Gondor laying, unable to stand up, where she went to drink from the pond. She must slipped and fell, wedging herself between the willow trees. She was very frightened and week. Jan was home luckily so he helped tie the sling ribbons around her legs. The boys drove the truck with the excavator over the hill and hoisted her out. When rolled to her belly, poor Gondor started ruminating immediately. Cows can't ruminate laying on their side. She had a very extended belly that went down visibly. She didn't try to stand despite our encouragement, she was so week. We were really worried! Excepted water after finished chewing her cud and didn't show signs of illness or fever so we don't know why she lost her balance... All this commotion around Gondor had the whole herd come around. Fergus and his son milled about play-fighting, the other girls stood close with big, round eyes watching...I had to shoo them off frequently to live Gondor alone.
Paul went over later in the dark to take a blanket and cover her for the night. He come back beaming :-))) Gondor managed to stand up! She was sitting in a regular position two hundred meters from where we left her. He fired up the tractor and took over a bale of hay - by this time- in pitch dark :-) which Gondor accepted and started to eat. She drank from the bucket of water offered also.
Sunday she was grazing happily all day :-))
We hope she'll be OK but keep a close eye on her. She is 6-7 month pregnant, she -and us- don't need this sort of dramas....

Raining

2008-08-16T12:31:00.003+10:00

It was raining every day last week. We had 44 mm so far.
It is welcomed by the newly planted Robinias, the ducks and the snails :-))
The ponds are filling nicely but we couldn't do any work in the vineyard. It's too muddy everywhere.
The Spring Lake is overflowing first time this year
It goes under the road into the Plum Pond. From there -not by design :-)- bubbles up and feeds the marsh.
Plum Pond is a natural spring spot like Spring Lake, fed from underneath. When Paul built it, the wall had a rocky layer and he didn't plaster it with enough clay to hold the pressure of the water. By the time he discovered the leak the pond was full of tadpoles :-) He said he'll wait until the frogs grow up before he'll start fixing it...Now it's muddy. No go with the excavator until it dries up. But by the time it will dry up I'm pretty sure the frogs will lay their eggs again...:-)))) Hey, I don't want a family dispute... :-)))... Plum Pond can stay as dedicated frog breading ground until he starts on the BIG landscaping :-)

Spring is around the corner...

2008-08-11T10:10:00.005+10:00

The mornings are still frosty but one of the plum trees decided that Spring must be arriving soon
so do the daffodils
I have 8 more rows to prune by hand and this coming weekend we start on the old grapes. We use pneumatic pruners on them. Much easier :-))) My hand started to complain after the 4000-th young vine :-) but I have to keep going...not much more! Only about 800 more...and from next year most of the whole vineyard can be pruned by pneumatic force. I wish we could buy those electric pruners.....but they are sooooo expensive. Nowdays you can buy all sorts of electric tools for less then 100 dollars why are these pruners over 2000???? Using these, instead of manual ones, would save a LOT of pain and injury. In my mind this is a strong workplace safety issue! If these pruners would be reasonably priced I'm sure EVERY vineyard would use them and would supply their workers with them.
We planted out the Robinia forest.
Paul ripped the rows and churned up the pasture to the delight of our population of birds :-)) The photo is small but if you look very closely you can count 4 Red Robin boys busy collecting any grub, worm and insect unearthed. Here is one closer up
The girls are brown, they are not visible but a flock of 10 was working here. The lapwings, black birds, blue wrens and native hens were all there also. What excitement! Everyone chirping, twittering...clicking beaks, trying to chase the other one off the rich pickings :-))
Marking out the holes Paul dropped one tiny tree for me to plant
386 fitted in, the rest were planted in boxes to replace -next year- the ones which will not survive.
He finished my table also :-)) It will be used as an island bench in the new kitchen. A big chopping block is incorporated for meat and vegie preparations and drawers for utensils
Myrtle and Blackwood was used, the block is endgrain-cut Blue Gum.
The price is 2500 $ if you want to buy it before I get the chance to use it :-))) It is sitting in the half-finished gallery now. Once we move up there EVERYTHING will be for sale :-) If you want the chair you sit on, the table you drink our wine at, the display cabinets, outdoor furnitures, benches, gazebos and sculptures in the garden, the counter...no, you can't take THAT one but you will be able to order it made :-)) We deliver worldwide.

Day trip to Gordon Dam

2008-08-04T10:52:00.005+10:00

Candy from Hong Kong returned with her friend to help again. They pre-prune the old vines, taking out 2/3-rd of the canes. Their work is BIG help, saving many hours for us. So to reward them we went up to the mountains yesterday.
Mount Sentinel was veiled in low clouds:
Lake Peder shows its usual beauty:

Some pretty pebbles
The Gordon Dam was awesome...

It was a 500 km round trip, by the time we arrived home it was dark. The chooks and ducks went to bed hungry...but Chris cooked up a storm in the kitchen for us :-))

Finally Paul finished his application for the grappa licence and sent it off. Needed more paperwork than a passport :-))
Apart from these, it was just a normal working week...

Weather data at the vineyard

2008-07-27T11:07:00.004+10:00

Another frosty morning...

Paul did his weather data last night.
We had 705 mm of rain last year.
Our average is 775 mm. It is 10 years now that he is recording.
The driest year was 99 with 570 mm.
We had the most rain in 03, 882 mm.
Average rainy days are 80.
Average sunny days are 210. This differs significantly from normal weather bureau data because Paul counts when the Sun is actually shining :-)) even if there are some puffy clouds in the sky passing in front of it. If it's not fully overcast our grapes are smiling. So are we. On 210 days a year... :-)) AND on the 80 rainy ones also because they need that too :-)))
Dover is at Latitude 43 18, for viticulture data we look at Christchurch, New Zealand, because it is the most comparable with Lat. 43 32. It is true cool climate. With 1000 C Degree days,
LTI of 274, Heat index of 3320. (data, courtesy of Peter Salonius)

Finished pruning the Pinot Gris-s in block 3. Run out of the little ties I'm using to secure the canes to the grow wire but no problem, the Primadonnas (Gewürztraminer) will be only cut but not tied until Paul installs the second grow wires for these.
We call them Primadonnas because they are soooo temperamental...for two years they had nothing on them! Zilch! We've changed the pruning and their training method and last year -at least- we managed to pick some. Boy, isn't the wine absolutely beautiful?!?!?! Not ready yet but even at this stage jumps out of the glass :-))) In your face, fills your senses...if you close your eyes you are transported to a tropical island...flowers...sun...sand...Vivaldi playing in the background....:-)))
They are so difficult to manage that some growers in Tassie had thrown them out. They were told if they don't behave themselves they'll end up over-grafted with some less recalcitrant species! They can bust themselves sucking up all the goodies from the soil but their fruit will be a bastard! Ha-Ha-Ha....(this is an EVIL laugh here :-))) )

I don't want to talk about the Australia Post saga...:-((( it goes on and on..and on...for weeks now. I'm sad, mad, hopeful and angry at various stages...well, I just should get used to it! We chose to live on an island. After 10 years I still can't figure it out if this is typical of ALL islands or just Tasmania????....

Ohhh, I nearly forgot Timur :-))
Being winter he doesn't have much to do...curls up with friends next to the fire...
...here with Pavarotti
and so engrossed in summer dreams that he doesn't mind ashes from the fire dusting his chin...

For your education and enjoyment

2008-07-20T11:19:00.003+10:00

Winter spread it's frosty coat this morning on the grass (and Lucifer's windscreen).
I've finished pruning the Bacos and the Gamays in Carson's Garden (block 2) and now working on block 3, the young Pinot Grises and Gewurtztraminers. Nothing more to entertain you so I recommend Vintage Direct's Vintage School Online Wine Course. You can spend a few hours there as I did :-)) It is the most interesting and comprehensive wine education I have come across on the net so far...
Happy reading! :-)

Some of Paul's work

2008-07-12T13:40:00.013+10:00

Not much happening apart from the pruning so I share with you some photos of Paul's work.
Miniatures made for a Canadian exhibition
Interestingly these were not sold at the exhibition, came home and then traveled back to Canada with their new owner after he found them in Finewoodcraft Gallery in Pemberton :-)
She is gracing the guest bedroom.
My favourite Madonna.
Bowls for sale

The sisters were gifts to our guests
Carved relief
Some of his signature jewelery boxes

and some furniture

Flat Timur
He is NOT made out of wood :-))) not yet...

Just some winter photos

2008-07-02T11:15:00.006+10:00

Candy haven't seen snow before so we had to drive up to the Hartz mountain to find some :-) These are her photos:
The Big Tree Butt
A waterfall
Flowers
Misty hills
We cooked stuffed cabbages for dinner
Possum kitty and
duckies enjoying a bit of sunshine...
...Fergus also...
...and Timur as a matter of course :-)
It is his DUTY to enjoy himself :-)))

Umami

2008-07-01T13:57:00.002+10:00

Call me what you want but I think our wine has a strong umami!
If you haven't heard about umami yet, don't despair, grab the opportunity I'm presenting to discover it :-)
In one sentence, it is the fifth taste after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Longer explanation here.
Our wines are consistently characterised as savoury and I just had an Eureka moment :-)) This is it! It is umami!
St Imre fans describe it as "I just can't stop drinking it", "mmm...mmm I want another glass", tz-tz-tz...this goes well with any food I've paired it", "ahhh... this is moreish", "delicious", "different", "this is the best I've tried EVER", "I just had to come in to buy again"...
Paul describes it as minimal intervention winemaking. The reflection of the true character of the fruit and terroir. Our dry (not irrigated) vineyard, the use of only natural elements (Copper and Sulphur) to control diseases. Hand picked grapes destemmed and crushed, inoculated with noble yeasts. Wine fermented in open wooden vats or food-grade plastic and glass. No fining and filtering only once before bottling or not filtered at all. Aged in -exclusively- old barrels to prevent the oak taste overpowering the fruit. Minimum quantities of preservative or no preservative at all if the year permits.
Folks, I describe it as having umami.
You can read more about it here and here
and here and here .

Started pruning

2008-06-24T10:40:00.008+10:00

Not just started but finished block 4 already :-)
Candy from Hong Kong arrived last Thursday and with her help we started pruning the young vines in block 4. Have finished in no time......but we had to climb the hill about 10 times to do so. Great exercise! :-) Wish we had a 4 wheel bike!!!! Summertime, when the road is drivable, Lucifer (my Honda Jazz) takes me up but this time of the year only the tractor or
your 2 or 4 legs makes it accessible. The other blocks are waiting in line...
Big Red Riding Hood (aka old Toyota truck) had a fatal tantrum with her clutch :-( Paul took her to the last journey she had in St.Imre's service. She will be advertised and sold promptly. If someone wants her in service then good on her! - if not..she will be scrap metal soon. The new arrival is a Dodge. She is an old lady also but with a lot more grace and grunt :-) Currently undergoing some adornment (fitted with anchoring points to be able to transport the excavator).
Exca finally has her new shoes! This was a long saga getting all the bits and pieces from Japan in three different shipments thanks to the incompetence of Hitachi's Launceston team...but never mind, take it easy, she'll be apples, this is Apple Island after all....She is ready to work from tomorrow after some thin copper sheet application to her starter motor, Paul is fabricating now.
Now off to the mountain....I'm showing off our Mount Wellington to Candy today.

Törkő Pálinka (Grappa)

2008-06-17T10:10:00.004+10:00

In the Sunday Tasmanian, last weekend, I've read an article about Tetsuya Wakuda's latest visit to our state. In it Jarrad Bevan mentions that the great chef "was excited about a locally made grappa". Now this got me thinking...have they already heard about us being in the process of applying for our distilling license or there is a competitor out there we don't know about?
In case the first is true, I'm Over The Moon...in second case, the Australian market soon will be over-run by locally made grappa!!! :-)))
Of course grappa is known by any self-respecting winemaking nation and any grape aficionado :-)
It is a distillate of grape mark and lees, the by-products of winemaking. The Italians call it grappa and under this name is best known. We Hungarians call it törkő pálinka ( tör = tur from turky, kő = ...now this needs a longer explanation :-) [If you are interested to find out how to pronounce these - impossible-I-was-told - vowels you can find them here ], Pá = pa from pathos, link = link, a = ah). This is how we will name our product so you better learn it... :-)) or you can just say torko palinka :-))) In Transylvania it is made very strong. Can be up to 70% alcohol. Now that is fire water! You drink it as medicine :-)... just a shot before meals to aid appetite and digestion.
Grandma Eszter really used it as medicine. Any tummy bug... out came the pálinka...one big mouthful swallowed (burned all the way down to your stomach, your eyes popped out of your head, takes your breath away so much so that it is said it's only good if you can't thank it)...sure the bug was killed in minutes. She steeped white lily petals in it to use as a rub on sprains and bruises. She soaked various herbs in it to cure all sorts of ailments. Geeee....it smelled and tasted horrible!
We used to take a good supply of pálinka on any trip around the country. Once sailing around the Danube Delta we run out of pálinka on the 4-th day :-) The crew didn't find amusing that solid land was so few and far between :-)) We had to substitute with crude, cheep vodka that was affordable to the 5 of us, young, carefree adventurers navigating Paul's home-made, open-decked tub.
Grandpa Feri was in charge of distilling in our village. In fact our house among the vineyards was at one stage the distillery, still having the large gap on one of the walls - they used to shovel the spent mark through - by the time we married and decided to make it our home. Grandpa Feri died young, when I was 8 years old. I remember him walking down the road from hunting, his shotgun dangling from his shoulder, his pocket always full with lollies for his one and only granddaughter :-) Wintertime, sitting on his lap in the warm distillery, listening to old men tales, in awe of the echoing big hall, the smells, the hissing, clanking, dripping copper pots...
Cheers to grappa! Cheers to pálinka! May our product -when we will be ready to make it and sell it to you- bring good health and fond memories!

PS: My use of word -törkő- is conscious and deliberate. It is how the spirit is named in Szentimre, the village, so this is how it will be called in St. Imre, the vineyard/winery. Törköly is the grammatically correct version.

Quiet week

2008-06-13T10:09:00.004+10:00

It has been a quiet week. Weather variable.
We dug up the potatoes from the veggie garden, now Paul has to prepare the soil for the planting of garlic.
Transplanted some flowers -the ones suffering in pots for months- into the rock wall below the parking bay.
Went with Aimee down to Cockle Creek to show her the end of the road.
It wasn't nice and sunny so the photos are a bit morose. Like the weather that day.

Talked to Australia Post about sending our wine with them, sounds good, hope we can get it up and running ASAP and exchanged mail with Boutique Wineries re possibilities of you being able to order online though them.
Wanted to start pruning today but it's raining...

How you can find us

2008-06-11T11:02:00.003+10:00

Thanks Eric for your question.
It is so easy to find us that the obvious didn't occur to me... to tell you all where we are and how to find us.
We are at 6900 Huon Hwy, Dover, Tasmania, Australia.
From Hobart CBD you drive out on Davey Street. It will become the Southern Outlet taking you to Kingston. Before Kingston -at the roundabout- take the left line to Huonville. You are on Huon Highway (A6) now. In Huonville drive straight -through the Huon River bridge- continuing South on Huon Hwy. You will pass Franklin, Castle Forbes Bay and Port Huon. Before Geeveston -on your left- you'll find Scotts Road (C634). This is a shortcut taking you back to A6 before Waterloo. After Surges Bay and Glendevie you are descending toward Dover. We are exactly at the 60 Km sign on the right.
We are open Saturdays and Sundays, 9 am -5 pm but if we are at home you can visit any day! Just phone ahead on 0428 107 451 to allow me time to come down from the vineyard where I might be working.

Bottling

2008-06-07T18:14:00.008+10:00

The Zork closures finally arrived. They look similar to the wax we were using before. The very big advantage of using these closures instead of corks is that they will prevent not only cork taint but the inconsistency we experienced with corks. We've tried 3 different brands of cork so far with -not very happy- results. Because we don't fine, rarely filter our wines and Paul uses the least amount of preservative or -when the year permits- not at all, the closure is very important for us. We used Zork first on our 07 Chardonnays and we are happy with them :-) It is easy to apply, cost is similar to corks and some permeability is promised (as opposed to steel caps) on which we can't report yet but keep reading this blog...for a few more years :-))
Aimee, our HelpX guest, arrived also. She was helping all day...it made the job easier. Thanks Aimee! Here she is deep in discussing the intricacies of bottling :-)
We finished the Pinots yesterday and the Tiger Blood today.

Paul is rinsing the bottles with antiseptic solution. Notice the new bottle-carrying trolley and the draining rack he made :-)))
And here ...
...the Chief Bottler. :-)))

Winter arrived

2008-06-03T15:00:00.004+10:00

Winter arrived last night.
The clouds are touching the hill. There was a little frost also, gently coating the grass.
It's not raining, just one of those days when you feel like it is time to light the fire and stay Publish Postlonger in bed.
Not much to say about the Melbourne show ...it was probably an exercise with intangible result... will see what the people from Totally South will report...
Paul made the new compartments in the storage room. We'll be bottling next week.

Hannah from HelpX left and Aimee arrives Thursday.
Father and Son had a music session

Publish Post

Good food and Wine show - Melbourne

2008-05-27T09:15:00.004+10:00

Totally South Tourism -our Huon Valley organisation- will have an exhibition space at the show. They will represent us with tastings of our 2004 and 2006 Pinot. So, if you have time, please go down to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, 30th of May - 1th June, to try some of our wine.
I couldn't send more, due to the ridiculous quotes I received to freight the wines over... :-((( One transport company wanted over 200 $ for the freight of 1 ...yes, one...carton! That's 12 bottles with 17 kg weight. To Melbourne! I shudder to think how much it would cost to send it to Perth or Cairns..... Australia Post delivered it for 20 $ AND it was there in 4 days, including the weekend!
We will be using Australia Post if you would like to order.
The 2004 St. Imre Pinot Noir is 22.00 $ and the 2006 is 33.00 $.
You can place an order by phoning 03 62 981 781.

I know we are at the End of the World... but this freight business rammed it home! How can I serve our interstate customers if our location is such a disadvantage???? The 6 courier and freight companies I called were quoting sky high prices or -worst- they put down the phone with "sorry we don't deal with this"...one, after personally going into their office, didn't "find the time" yet to call back or send an email...
Uffff...that was my whinge for this week....

2008 harvest finished

2008-05-25T12:19:00.006+10:00

Finally I have a bit of time to update you on the last weeks happenings.
We finished picking ! :-) Paul is still busy in the winery pressing, transferring and continuously cleaning and recording ....
Eszter and Jonny arrived on the 7-th and we started picking the Tiger Blood material the next day.
On the 10-th friends and family descended on the vineyard...balmy weather, sunshine and 20 pairs of industrious hands made light work of the day's picking.
Picker buckets, bins and vats were filling up fast! By 2 PM we had nearly 2 tones picked, some nicks on little fingers and battle wounds on Timur's lip inflicted by Mango :-) Poor Timur...it was his first time in a fight and he was VERY surprised. Mango is half his size but with an overinflated ego :-)) He just couldn't stand a giant, lumbering blob of awkwardness in his way. Mango bit his great hanging lip... Timur pinned him down ...growls ... shouts (from the humans) ...first aid kit ready-handy ...it was an animated day :-)))
The new bogracs (billy) turned out to be too small for such a large gathering. Solution?... a custom-cast one -for next year- in one of Hobart's foundries.
Our HelpX guest -Hannah from USA, Oregon- arrived next week.
She helped pick the rest of the grapes and she was busy in the winery too...:-))
Pinot in fermenting vat.

Thanks to everyone for the help and we hope that next year will be the same!

Still picking....

2008-05-24T10:18:00.000+10:00

Not long now to finish this harvest. 2 more days and it will be over....

Picking

2008-05-11T20:43:00.003+10:00

We are going full bore!
Grapes are coming out of our ears :-)) and going into every receptacle that can be used as a fermentation vat. EVERYTHING is full in the winery and we are only half way through....
Tomorrow frenzied phone calls to locate more vats AND get it here ASAP.
Picture story coming after we are over this bumper crop vintage...:-)))

Our website

2008-05-06T10:36:00.003+10:00

It is in the making .... :-)))

We picked the whites yesterday for the Possum Piss, crushed, pressed and inoculated with yeast. They're already bubbling away. This year secret recipe is.....

....it IS secret, did you think I'll divulge? :-)))... but it will be the best Possum Piss we ever made!

Tomorrow is Janos' birthday. He'll be 22. Looking at him sometimes I can't believe that this tall, intelligent, handsome boy is my skinny, wrinkly, blue and angry baby :-)))

Wine press

2008-05-03T10:16:00.005+10:00

Paul is preparing the cellar for receiving the fruit.
He's making platforms with castor wheels under the vats for easy moving and he filled them with water to allow the staves to expand and close the gaps developed during dry storage. He finished the copper chute from the crusher/destemmer through the winery wall, I hope it will function as beautifully as it looks :-))
I printed out the new test sheets on which I'm recording the harvest parameters. Sugar is going up, acid is coming down...everything is on the right track for a nice vintage :-)
And now I'd like to introduce you to Winepress Forum.
Instead of me writing about general winemaking; viticulture; how to taste, select, store and enjoy your wine etc...you can find there ALL the information you care to know about regarding grapes and the juice of it :-) And if you can't find it just fire a question. Within minutes you'll get an answer from this purple teeth community :-)
This is THE place to search and hang out!
If you google it, it comes up as amateur and small winery winemaking. Don't dismiss it as a bunch of garageists concocting plonk! :-)) Sure some of them make wine in their garage but the collective knowledge of these happy, friendly and helpful people will surpass any one expert on the subject. Naturally you'll find there experts too... and not only on grapes... but home kits, fruit wine, mead, cheese, bread...even how to make that Italian sausage you bought at the corner deli :-)
I've found Joel's site years ago when I've discovered mites on my grape leaves :-)
WARNING! Visiting can become addictive!
Cheers :-)))

Icons

2008-05-02T10:36:00.002+10:00

I've just found Iconsbymarice and was suitably impressed :-) not only by the talent of Marice and the quality and beauty of her works but also by the fact that she chose to include our St Imre and his father, St Stephen of Hungary, even choosing St Stephen's small icon to represent all saints on her page.
Thank you Marice :-))

Pad for the crusher

2008-04-26T11:35:00.007+10:00

Paul and Janos prepared the concrete pad for the crusher. It is a long awaited progress :-)
So far we did the crushing/destemming in the winery. Not any more! :-)) Paul wanted to do this work outside - it is easier to clean everything, don't have to drive in with the tractor, he can use the crusher's extension for bigger load processing...and simply it appeals to his sense of order :-) He is making the chute through the wall now which will let the crushed and destemmed berries flow into the fermenting vats.
The trip up North was tirening but fruitful. Visited our friends in Lilydale and picked up the excavator parts and the tree seedlings
from Hitachi and Woodley Nursery. On the way home the most spectacular Tassie sunset presented itself, lighting the sky for half an hour. Regretting that I left my camera home, it was the last few minutes only I could capture when it clicked that maybe the phone's camera would work :-)))...it did ...but my handicap with these newfangled devices prevents me to download it to the laptop. Ahhh..I know about bluetooth and USB but I don't know much yet about the Mac I'm using since my old PC moved to computer heaven.
I've cut my computer-teeth on a 486 when all the teeth around the desk was in my own mouth! :-)) and they were white! not blue. Now I just have to figure out how to get this blue tooth bite...and I'll post the photos next time.
Have a warm weekend ...with or without rain... depending what you were praying for ! :-)))

Picking date fixed

2008-04-19T10:52:00.009+10:00

Autumn colours are blazing,
picking time is well and truly on us.

Started the tests last week and parameters showing 2-3 more weeks before we start picking, depending on varieties.
Picking Party will be on the 10-th of May :-))
Paul remodeled a few hills. Took out a hawthorn tree and started to level the land for a storage site where he'll keep the tractor implements, building materials and various "junk"...
(sorry Paul, I know it's NOT junk but any piece of metal and timber I don't know what it will be used for, IS junk to me :-)) ) It is the burial place for Janos' first car also :-)
We had news from the nursery in Scottsdale that our trees are ready to pick up so we'll be going up North on Monday. Last year we ordered the poplars for a windbreak and the robinias for our Honey Forest. The robinias are not only sentimental value for us -back in Szentimre we used to take the bees out to the robinia forest- but here in Tassie we'll be the first ones to produce pure Robinia Honey.
Ohhh..and check out my new haircut ...:-)) we have a new hairdresser in town! Gail moved down from Sydney and bought Caza's salon. Sea-changers. Welcome to Dover!

HelpX

2008-04-12T10:44:00.006+10:00

We had Simon from Canada visiting.
We joined HelpX a few months ago and since then it's nearly full house here all the time :-))
HelpX is a worldwide network of travellers and hosts. We are hosts, meaning that we offer accommodation and food for our guests in exchange of 4 hours of their time daily. This is an immense opportunity for us to get to know young travellers from all over the world and to get help with any jobs going on the farm. For them it is an inexpensive way of tarvelling and a glimpse into the everyday life of the host family, the customs and culture of the country they are visiting.
Our kids grown up and moved out, so having these visitors living with us, brings back the laughter, the enthusiastic discussions and the vibrating vitality around the dining table :-))) We offer a home away from their family and they bring Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland, Canada...into our life.
Simon helped to cut and bring in the firewood for winter, level the site for the crusher , dusted and swept, cleaned Lucifer (my little black Honda Jazz), tracked down to South Cape, wandered around Hartz National Park taking amazing photos and we talked politics, religion, customs, history, philosophy, the psychology of growing up, grape growing, winemaking, the weather...we saved the world and planned its future... all this in 4 days :-)))
We might live at the End Of The World but life is not boring down here ! :-)))

Just cruising....

2008-04-06T09:46:00.003+10:00

Last week's hurricane force wind didn't do any damage. It lifted the net-pegs here-and-there, pushed a few garden chairs around, but nothing more sinister. Luckily we are sheltered by Bruny Island and -at the back- by our Storm Hill. Had the power out twice for a few minutes. Our thought are with those who didn't escape this easy...
The wasp war did take a turn ... :-))...Paul's wasp-nest burning exercise had a surprising result. He had put out the small fire he'd lit on the nest but the increasing wind rekindled some hidden amber and when he'd checked on it later in the afternoon, he found a creeping flame under the big tree shadowing the nest. It quickly run up the trunk lighting the hanging bark accumulated at the forks. Nothing to worry about, -he has fire fighting training-, cleared the ground around and the roads on both side would've contained the fire. Anyway the ground was still pretty wet everywhere. BUT some wellmeaning passerby, seeing the spectacular flames, called OOO and the local firey boys were out in a minute, coming to the rescue :-))) They dampened the ground a bit more and job well done, were invited "underground" to put out the "fire" caused by the alarm by way of some grape juice...:-)) Thanks boys!
That particular nest is well and truly destroyed but not the others... :-((( Wasp numbers are decimated but the stinging beasties still carry on...so off I go to find more nests...

Busy week

2008-03-30T11:54:00.009+11:00

We had a busy week.
Paul is a year older !... and we celebrated this fact with some friends. Eszterke flew home from Melbourne, Janos and Rachel come down from Hobart and our dear friends gathered to share some "mici"s barbied on the new jazzy outdoor fireplace and -of course- to sample some more Chardy, Pinot and Tiger Blood :-))
He was welding, grinding, mixing mortar and juggling stones the week before to finish the BBQ in time for the party.
Here it is:

The young Gewurztraminers had some fruit on. We didn't net them this year thinking the work and expenses not warranted yet but Paul seeing the feathered enemy taking his precious cargo beak-by-beak, tested the remaining ones and concluded that a few bottles in the cellar is a better place for them than the enemy's belly ! So it happened that we went out picking late afternoon on Friday...1 bucket picked, 2 bucket picked...jeezzz...we had more than we thought! Finished by candle light going after the SMELL :-))))

It's bubbling away in the carboy...
Both of us been stung while picking :-(((
Enemy No.2 are out by force this year!
WASPS!
These nasty black-and-yellow-jackets eating our crop drop-by-drop! If you think that that is surly not much loss you should see the NUMBER of these rascals! Zillions of them! But they won't outsmart Auntie Kato. NO SIR!
Quick phone call to Ag Department yielded advise to put out minced meat bites, wait until they start taking it, call again for poison to go into mince...you get the picture. Haa...ha-ha-ha... (this is a sarcastic laugh! I just don't know how to digitise that)
Do you think they go for MEAT when the there are hectares of fruit juice??? ...NO SIR!
So I jumped on the net, googled HOW TO KILL WASPS and come up with a battle plan.
They build their nest underground, fly in direct line home with MY juice and feed it to all and sundry in those underground nests.
First: find nest.
Second: wait for nightfall. They all should be snugly tucked to bed.
Third: sprinkle nest entrance deliberately with killer dust.
Fourth: tuck yourself to bed.
Next morning check on them and laugh your head off watching the enemy OBLITERATED!

Happy Easter !!!

2008-03-21T09:58:00.006+11:00

We wish you all a Very Happy Easter !

Head of Security caught sleeping...

2008-03-16T11:04:00.024+11:00

Opalguard Nelson aka. TIMUR was our choice of appointment to Head of Security. We are very happy with this appointment but as you can see His Royal Highness sometime neglects his duty! If I want to be brutally truthful... HRH considers SLEEP as his highest duty :-)
He was chosen from a noble litter from Opalguard kennel, Tamworth, NSW.
From an early age he displayed a lovely temperament and a fondness for sleep.

He gets along well with everybody and takes his duty seriously... when he's not sleeping.
On duty:

Playing with Krampusz:

His beloved Teddy:

Guest are greeted by him with utmost majesty...ambling up and sniffing your bum, calmly waiting for a pat, turning and leading you up the stairs. So don't be afraid to get out of your car and to pay HRH his due respect (pat on the head) when you see his 50kg+ hulk approaching, HRH Timur is only welcoming you to St. Imre.

Other members on duty at St. Imre are:

The Poultry Patrol

They are responsible for pestcontrol in the vineyard. With their invaluable help we managed to avoid spraying ANY pesticide on the vines.

The Rodent Exterminator Squad

Chief Tomcat Petyi

Deputy Tomcat Caruso

Queen Cirmi

AND some others

The Lawn Mover Team
Fergus of Lachlan Mhor

Mama Göndör

Twins Ili and Mili...

...with their Mum Piros

Rózsika

Bálint, Lizi and Barnus not featured in photos because I can't find a portrait :-)

and the Sadly Departed
who are buried in our Pet Cemetery under the olive trees
Former Chief Tomcat Bundy

Former Head of Security,Hector...

...with Dozer

It’s time to do the preserves

2008-03-14T10:05:00.006+11:00

Now that the grapes are netted, I’m busy collecting the fruits of summer.
The cucumbers bearing enormous quantities as do the tomatoes, the egg plants and the capsicums.
Because my pickles enjoy such popularity I share with you the “secret” recipes :-)
Some years ago I had an Eureka moment :-))) I always did the bottle sterilisation the old way, as are written in every recipe…heat it in the oven, steam it in a Vacola contraption ect…long, hot, arduous processes. Than I thought... if we sterilise the wine bottles and anything in the winery with Sodium Metabisulphite (SO2) why this wouldn’t be good for my preserving jars also?!...instead of the messy and labour-intensive, conventionally recommended processes. So I’ve tried it and it worked :-)))
I didn’t loose ANY preserves to spoilage since then.
Preserving is easy now! Just soak the bottles for 10 minutes, shake out the water and fill.
So far this year I've made:

Katóka's Pickled Dill Cucumbers

Wash the cucumbers. Sterilise the jars. Into each jar put:
2-3 grape leaves
1 teaspoon (ts) black pepper
1 ts black mustard seed
1 ts white mustard seed
1 ts coriander
1 ts dried chilly
1-2 bay leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 handful of fresh dill
3-4 cm fresh horseradish root
Cut cucumbers to bite size chunks, fill the jars. While filling you can put in more dill, garlic and horseradish to look nice :-)
In a big pot prepare the salted water. For every liter of water measure 40g of salt. Bring to the boil. When boiling, pour into jars to fill. Leave 2-3cm space on top to allow for the gases developing during fermentation. Close jars, put them in a dark, cool place.
The pickling process is a malolactic fermentation. The liquid will be cloudy for some time then it will clear and settle, forming a whitish sediment. This is natural. If you don't like the look of the sediment you can wash it off before serving. It is ready to eat when the liquid is clear and settled - maybe 1 month.
You can use any spices you like instead of my version but you CAN'T omit the grape leaves (it is needed for supplying tannins to keep the cucumber crunchy. It can be replaced by cherry leaves or even black tea leaves -though I never tried this - as long as it contains tannins) and the horseradish (containing some antiseptic compounds).
With exactly the same process and condiments I pickle green tomatoes and mixed vegies also. In the vegie mix I use carrots, cauliflower, red and white cabbages, green tomatoes and cucumbers.

Blackberry Cordial

Pick (or buy) the blackberries. Put it in a pot and add enough water just to cover the fruit. Boil for 30 minutes. Mash or process in a blander the resulting 'soup'. In a sieve let it drip out overnight. For every liter of strained cordial add 500-750g sugar (depending how sweet you like it). Bring to the boil to let the sugar dissolve and bottle it boiling hot. Put the bottles in an esky or cover them with pillows to create a SLOW temperature drop for 2-3 days.
Enjoy! :-))

Translator (Forditó)

2008-03-12T10:27:00.003+11:00

For the benefit of those who would like to translate the blog I've added a link to a translation page.

Magyarra is forditható a blog, másold be a "stimrevineyard.blogspot.com/"-ot, ahol kéri az URL-t és alatta "English to Hungarian(CP1250)". Csak gépi forsitás, de kihámozható belőle a mondanivalóm :-))
Itt fetrengek a röhögéstől :-)))....mert kipróbáltam a jobb forditót...remélem neked is jó szórakozást fog adni :-)))

Wine appreciation :-)

2008-03-10T10:00:00.009+11:00

Szentimre -the village- is built onto the hills rising from the valley of Berettyo river. Same size as Dover here, about 500 houses... and about 500 wine cellars :-)) Everybody who is anybody has one. Whole streets are dedicated to wine. We lived on one of these cellar streets. The view from our street.
Usually every weekend is busy on these streets, families having a rest, cooking a gulyas, roasting backfat on sticks and, naturally, sampling their wine, sharing it with neighbours. Hospitality is legendary in my village. It is customary to invite in for a glass anybody who happen to pass your cellar. There can be no excuse to refuse a sample ! So if you happen to travel to Szentimre be aware that you may end up on your fours by the end of the street, as it happened to several visitors :-))) Now this hospitality wouldn't be a problem if everybody's wine would be "nearly as good as mine". But you can encounter "passable", "one glass", "squatting" and "three persons" wines also :-))
To explain: these are the gold, silver, bronze and youdon'twanttodrinkthis wine categories of my village.
"Nearly as good as mine" is the highest accolade that anyone can achieve :-)) Gold medal wine!
"Passable" is Silver. A serious achievement for the winemaker.
"One glass" is Bronze. You could drink more of it but on one hand it is impolite to appear a drunkard and start pouring down your esophagus a second glass' content, on the other hand there will be more varieties to sample :-))
"Squatting" denotes a wine where you squat down passing your host's cellar windows as to avoid being seen and invited in. This wine has serious faults... :-)
"Three persons" is the worst ! Visualise yourself on the winery table, being held down by two persons while the host forcefeeds his tipple. This is the wine and the cellar you want to avoid at all cost !...even by walking several kilometers more on your way, across paddocks, up-and-down valleys, behind uncle Gyula's potatoes, through the cemetery at night, etc, etc, etc...
I can tell you that Paul had many "nearly as good as mine", some "passable" and the occasional "one glass". He never made "squatting" or "three persons" wine but he committed the these cardinal sins while learning to make schnapps :-)) But that is another story...

Computer giving up the ghost

2008-03-09T13:11:00.003+11:00

Dear Readers,

my ancient, pedestrian machine is at Death's Door :-((( Janos managed to coax it back to life today but if you don't see new posts for some time, please bear with me until I'll find a replacement.
Otherways we had a very successful Open Weekend, we met some wonderful people and everyone was encouraging and appreciative of our little operation here :-))
and we finished netting block 1.

until next time...
Kat