Harvest time at the beginning of each New Year brings an incredible energy of profusion and fruitfulness to the farm. In the early morning of the 26th of January, we celebrated our 21st Harvest Anniversary, bringing in the Chardonnay grapes we use to make Avondale’s MCC, Armilla. With Father Ivan, our family priest, presiding over the harvest blessing for the twenty-first time, it was an occasion for coming together in a spirit of joy and thankfulness for Nature’s bounty. The harvesting of different varietals continues to take place as we choose the optimal times to bring our healthy, organic grapes into the cellar so that the wine-making can begin!
We’re delighted that despite the rigours of the drought, the quality of the grapes this year is phenomenal. This is testimony to our work to ensure healthy soils enriched by hummus which helps not just to save water but, to also hold onto the water that our vines need to thrive.
We’ve expanded our natural winemaking capacity by adding 24 Qvevri to our cellar. These traditional, handcrafted Georgian terracotta winemaking vessels, which have an 8000-year history, are sunk into the Earth up to their necks to prevent them from cracking due to the high pressures caused by fermentation. The name Qvevri means ‘that which is buried’. They offer an additive-free, natural winemaking style that is very much aligned to Avondale’s approach. The entire winemaking process happens inside the Qvevri, and we are full of anticipation of the Qvevri wines we will make. You can sign up for the Avondale newsletter and join our social media community to learn more about Qvevri and get updates about Avondale’s Qvevri winemaking.