Harvesting Foggy Hill Vineyard

The Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir is typically hand harvested in the middle of March. Parawa, on the heights of the Fleurieu Peninsula, is only 8 kilometres north of the Great Southern Ocean and the cool maritime influence and moderate night temperatures initiate early bud burst and ripening.

The typical natural yield from the vineyard is a meagre 4.5 tonnes/hectare.

The typical analysis of Foggy Hill Pinot Noir at harvest is

• 23 Brix of sugar;
• 6 gpl of acid; and a
• pH of 3.65.

The tiny ebony bunches of Pinot Noir are selectively hand harvested into 0.3 tonne bins and transported to the Petaluma Winery 1 hour to the north in the Piccadilly Valley.

The fruit is chilled to 5ºC for 24 hours in cold store and is crushed and partially destemmed into 1 tonne fermentation tubs. 8% of stalks are retained at the crusher.

The must is allowed to "cold macerate" for three days before the onset of fermentation.