THE VINEYARD BLOG
Keep up to date with all the latest news and adventures from the vineyard.
From becoming fully organic, to planting, harvesting, making and bottling. Follow the story right here.
Stay at Château Maine Gazin?
We are often asked if people can stay at the property. The answer is yes. Marion manages two accommodations, one a self contained 2 bedroom located at the Château and the other a one bedroom cottage on the vines (also self contained). The links to booking are:...
Printemps – Spring in the vines
That special time of year, the pruning is done, the vines are attached to the wires, and the buds burst into fresh leaves. Each year we plant a mixture of seeds to every 2nd row to increase organic matter and nitrogen. Next month we will lay the crop down so it forms...
Harvest 2022 at Château Maine Gazin
Hello from the harvester, This is our fist year to be certified fully Organic in the vineyard and wine making. It has been a 3 year conversion period and a significant milestone for our family. 2022 was an extremely hot dry year along with the usual hazards of hail...
Bottling!
Rosé was the first wine to be bottled at the Château for the Cook family. It was made using the organic wine making process so as to learn how. Bottled under cork with a shot of nitrogen it is ready to drink....and it is not all that bad. It was reviewed by Gilbert...
2019 Harvest
Second harvest for the Cook Family and it was a big one. The vines flowered in early June and followed with a very good fruit set. It was to be a strong crop but it also meant bunch thinning (green harvest). This brings tears to your eyes seeing bunches cut away...
Maintaining the vineyard and going organic
As is the case all over the world grape vines need preventative maintenance against disease and pests. This primarily involves spraying of chemicals. The two types of mildew (fungi) require spray treatments soon after bud burst to just before the grapes change colour...
Our first harvest
Early August 2018, the pressure was on; there was definitely going to be a harvest. The volumes were estimated to be modest and the vines not fully grown so it was to be a hand picking harvest. The requirement was to recruit about 20 people, borrow crates from a...
Developing our vineyard
Vines need a great deal of care in the first few years. The chamber of Agriculture have some very fine staff to help with all aspects of viticulture. Soil testing, vine cultivar/root stock selection and fertilisation options have all been sourced from the department....
Planting vines
It was known Maine Gazin had very special terroir; the soil limestone clay mix, sloping south to north and the moderating influence of the Gironde. However, the vineyard had developed in an ad-hoc way over the generations. The advice was to replant vines to modern...
Chateau Maine Gazin begins
From Bondi Beach to Boredeaux region, Geoff and Marion had the yearning to get back to a rural pursuit after retiring. They had some farming experience and an involvement in a vineyard project in Pemberton, South West Australia. France was the target. The search began...