Heathcote

Carolyn and I have been settling in quite nicely in Heathcote. Our house is located on the vineyard about 20 minutes north of town. The country side here is beautiful...similar in ways to, say, Sonoma County, but also unlike anywhere I have been before. Rolling hills of brown grass, scattered gum trees, and plenty of sheep are visible as far as the eye can see. In front of our house, the occasional kangaroo can be seen hopping through the vineyard rows, or lounging around the olive trees.
I have to admit that after a few hours of being in Heathcote, we had started to second guess our decision to come here... But by day 4, I am convinced that this is one of the most up and coming wine regions in the world. Heathcote town is slightly larger than Redwood Valley, and the people here would feel right at home in small town Mendocino! The local wine merchant, Cellar and Store, has a collection of 80 or so local producers, of which almost all of them have strikingly attractive packages, which include prices that reflect the image. The upside to this is that It shows an immense amount of confidence in the producers for the quality of their wines. The people of this region believe that their wines belong next to the greatest in the world.
The brand I am currently working for, Heathcote II is revered as one of the best wineries of the region and produces only 600 cases a year!!
Carolyn and I had a bottle of the 2005 Myola, a Bordeaux blend, with dinner the other night, and were in awe at the concentration and depth of flavors which were perfectly framed with a proportionate amount of T and A(tannin and acid =).
A few of the components that I believe make this region so great include the following:
Ancient Cambrian Soils. The Red, clay based soil is a key ingredient to the success of local growers due to its high water retention which allows for the grapes to be dry farmed; further increasing the skin to juice ratio.
Diurnal Variation: The days can reach up to 105F, and cool off to 50F at night! This allows for the grapes to ripen fully, but slowly, allowing for full development of flavors and retention of acidity.
Wind: There is a constant blowing wind here. Similar to the mistral of the Rhone. The wind can gust upwards of 40mph on a constant basis! The wind is less during flowering, but is enough to cause a slight amount of shatter in the vineyards which ultimately reduces yields. Also, the drying effect of the wind makes mildew and rot a non-occurrence. Without the worry of mildew, there is little need to spray chemicals in the vineyard.
Ok, enough for now...working early tomorrow!