Hey GRU don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
The Germans have a word for it and it’s called an ‘ear-worm.’ It’s a wonderful term to describe the common situation when a certain lyric gets stuck in your head. The above lyric is currently my ‘ear-worm’ de jour. The moment I get amongst the Gruner Veltliner vines it hits and it’ll slosh around my brain for as long as I stay in the vineyard. It is a bit melancholic but, like a good wine, it promises to make things better and that’s exactly what Gruner Veltliner does for me!
Luminescent Gruner Veltliner berries slowly ripening. Click on image to see berry detail.
I just love looking at the luminescent berries, bursting with promise as they slowly ripen towards the final push of harvest. And then it will be time for the miracle of fermentation to weave its sensual magic.
At night I lie awake planning in my head how the GRU 2012 will be. Will it have that citrusy, mineral backbone that enlivens your palate and lifts your spirit? Will it develop a lick of caramelised orange peel that is perfectly offset by a spritz of spicy pepper? Or will it have complex parsnip, tobacco and coriander notes?
All of these dreams and thoughts excite me and keep me up at night – but at the same time, I sadly also reflect upon how relatively few vintages we as individuals have in one lifetime to enjoy. Far too few life seasons available to explore every nook of possibility that each vintage promises – but nonetheless, more than grateful that I’ve already had the privilege of so many!
Bird netting to keep out the greedy feathered friends.
Last image is of the bird netting draping over the precious vines, keeping those oeno-fowls at bay!
For pre-release allocations of GRU 2012 and further information please go to http://bit.ly/ilfxBa