Clare (again)

Day 287

This morning I’m sure there is definitely something wrong with the alarm.

4.30am, It’s still pitch black as usual but there is a strange feel of the middle of the night rather than the early morning, none of the birds have even thought about starting their chorus and we even startle the cockerel when we jump out of the van ready for action (more like ready for a wee and a cup of coffee!). We go through our usual routine and head into Clare to meet up with the rest of the team, pick up a passenger for the day and drive, convoy style through the darkness towards Laura (the place not the person).

As dawn breaks we are treated to a marvellous sight, the flinders ranges silhouetted by the rising sun stretching away in front of us and emerging from a layer of thick fog around the lowlands (I was watching the road of course).

After about an hour’s drive we reach our destination to find a small paddock that only takes us until lunchtime to pick and so we volunteer for a few extra hours in the afternoon taking the bird nets off another paddock. With the drive back and another 4 hours’ work it ends up being quite a long day and we are relieved that there is no work tomorrow and we can have a lie in.

Day 288

Let’s face it, after getting up at 4.30am yesterday anything would be a lie in today and we manage to stay in bed till 8 o’clock and feel like it is almost lunch time.

As we have a day off we decide that this will probably be one of our last chances to visit a couple more cellar doors and taste a few wines (what a novelty!). So we hop back on the bikes and head through Clare and out to the north, stopping first at Jim Barry wines (lovely reds, look out for the ‘three little pigs’).

Across the road and a bit further on we come to Cardinham estate and a sign claiming to have the best Riesling in the world! We are taken through the range of wines by a lovely old man (whom we woke up from a nap when we arrived) and have to admit the Riesling was pretty good.

Tasting over for the day we head back through Clare and stop for a late lunch at the pub with an ‘all you can eat’ salad bar and ice cream. We both try our hardest to eat them out of house and home but disappointingly can only manage two trips to the salad bar and one (large) serving of ice cream. We waddle back out to the bikes and feeling slightly sick spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing back at the campsite.

Day 289

Another day, another grape and today we are back at Crabtree picking Grenache grapes. The work only lasts until lunchtime and in the afternoon we stop in to do some shopping and treat ourselves (a little late) to a ‘9 months on the road’ celebratory bottle of scotch.

Day 290

Up early today and are both happy to be returning to the Witts end vineyard and picking more Shiraz grapes.

The owners are both out helping again and we both enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the well looked after vines (this is how all picking should be).

Grapes

Grapes

more grapes

We do a full days picking but the time passes quickly and before we know it we are back at camp enjoying the fruits of our labour.

Day 291

With no work over the weekend and a bank holiday on Monday (Adelaide cup day) this will be our last day of grape picking in the Clare valley (and probably anywhere else for that matter) and today we are picking Shiraz grapes at a private vineyard just down the road from the campsite. We have actually enjoyed our time picking and have both learnt a lot about wine, grape varieties and the business of wine making (and drinking) and can both think of far worse ways of making a few quid (dollars). So it is with slightly heavy hearts we hang up our snips for the last time and say our farewells to the rest of the pickers and Michael, the boss and return to the campsite.

Day 292

Our final Saturday in Clare and we decide to revisit a couple of our favourite cellar doors and get a couple of bottles to take with us on our onward journey. So it’s back on the bikes and hit the Riesling trail one more time back to Pentwortham and the ‘little red grape’.  We have an idea of what we want but think it only fair to do a few tastings (just to make sure) and suspicions confirmed buy a couple of our favourites and head onwards to Mitchells winery. Enter the cellar door and recognise Pam, the owner of the Witts end vineyard who is conducting the tastings today! Have a chat whilst tasting and find out that the grapes we picked from her vineyard should be available in about 2015 (a date for your diaries).

Tour complete and bag full of wine we make our back to the campsite where we consider opening Polly as a cellar door showcasing the Clare valleys best offerings.

Day 293

A day of rest and preparation for our onward journey. Clothes are washed, Polly has some minor maintenance and the whole sharabang is given the once over with a damp shammy.