Small Australian winemaker here (Adelaide Hills & Riverland, mostly Mediterranean varieties). We're documenting our entire 2026 vintage and just posted the first proper crush episode.
You Can Watch The Episode Here
Day one: 30 tonnes of machine-harvested Riverland Fiano arrives. We dump the first fruit and the auger immediately seizes. Cue two hours of attempted repairs before switching to a backup pump we nearly sold last year.
Once we got going, the rest of the week covers a bunch of stuff that might be interesting to the winemaking-curious:
- Oxidative juice handling on Fiano — we deliberately brown the juice and why that's actually what we want
- Targeting 200-300 NTU for fermentation and using a rack and splash to get there when the juice settles too clear
- The downside of machine harvesting — potassium bitartrate precipitation locking up tartaric acid and tanking our acidity
- Why we're pulling Zibibbo at 9 baumé this year (it's isohydric like Grenache, so the pH runs away from you fast in heat)
- A first look at experimenting with oak on Fiano, which is new territory for us
Also addressed something we've kept separate for a while — the connection between our YouTube Channel and the Winery. Won't go into it here but it comes up in the video if you're curious.
One thing we're doing with this series — each week I'll be answering questions from the community in the next episode. So if there's anything you've always wanted to know about harvest, winemaking decisions, working with Mediterranean varieties in warm climates, or just how any of this actually works — drop it in the comments. No question too basic or too nerdy. I'll pick a bunch each week and answer them on camera.
by BrendoVino