2025 – Looking great so far
The 2025 vintage season has gone very smoothly to date (written on 18 Feb). We always hesitate to say this as nature usually has a curve ball or two to throw at us during the season before the grapes are safely in the winery. May be that curve ball was the frost on 3 November, the most significant in 20 years, damaging many young grape flowers across Central Otago. Fortunately, our frost protection saved Grasshopper Rock from any damage. Flowering went very well, temperatures have been normal and rain has been minimal. Fingers crossed for more of the same.
Monthly breakdown
September 2024. September received 10+ days when overnight temperatures dropped below zero with some nights dropping as low as -4 degree C. Rain days where higher than average with 80 mm of rain in total.
October Budburst was around 5 October. Frosts on 16 and 17 October required frost fighting sprinklers to be turned on. A big rain event on 26 October with 55 mm rain was to be the last decent rainfall for the next 90 days. October temperatures were average.
November growing degree days* were average and the mean temperature 13.6 degrees C. Three frost events (3rd, 17th and 24th November) required sprinklers turned on. The frost of 3 November was the most damaging frost across Central Otago vineyards since 2003. The current estimation is for the total grape crop across the region to be 30% below normal. The reason the 3 November frost was so damaging was the timing, the new season growth stage of young shoots with floresence exposed, and the lack of an inversion layer (where warm air overlies cool air). Many sites with historically low risk were damaged to varying degrees.
December growing degree days were 16% above average and the mean temperature was 17.2 degrees C. No frosts and no rain was recorded until after flowering. The ideal conditions for flowering produced one of our best fruit sets in recent years. By 10 December 50% of flowering was complete.
January 2025 saw a change in weather patterns with more cloud and cooler temperatures. The month was cooler than December with a mean January temperature of 16.7 degrees C. In the past 20 years we have experienced a cooler January than December in only vintages 2006, 2012 and 2017. On 26 January 14 mm rain was recorded and until this rain we had only received 21 mm since 26 October.
February has been a warm month so far (to 18 Feb) and likely to finish with above average temperatures. Veraison (berry colour change) is in full swing now and bird nets are going on this week.
March
April
*Growing degree day (GDD) is the day’s mean temperature less 10 deg C. It is a useful measure of the heat available for growth of the vine. For example 30 days of 6 GDD = 180 GDD for the month.
30 October 2024 Shoot development show inflorescence. Days before Central Otago’s most damaging frost event in 20 years. Grasshopper Rock vines were protected by frost sprinklers.
11 December 2024 Flowering 50% complete.
13 January 2025 Grapes developing rapidly prior to veraison.
