Birds Prefer Red Grapes To White Ones...

This is the view from our van, perched at the bottom of Martin's Hill Wines (an organic vineyard in Mudgee NSW). We went to do some grape picking there for a few days. 

This vineyard is extraordinary and we'll explain why...

Michael and his wife Jan purchased this land over 30 years ago and turned it into an organic vineyard. Jan, sadly, recently passed away....but has left an absolutely beautiful legacy. She planted EVERY SINGLE tree on the property (that is gum trees, vines, we mean everything), and all of it has thrived. She even sourced the best trees to grow around salt areas (as some of the areas of the vineyard had salt deposits coming up from the very old days when the river ran through it). Dom could not believe that Jan had planted everything we saw, as some of the trees were just so so big, and seemed as if they had been there for centuries. We really felt the great energy there on the vineyard from all the work that Michael and Jan did, and her presence still lingers no doubt. 

It was the first time we picked grapes. We learnt how pretty quickly, we had fun, and we got to use our shower bladders for the first time :)
Over the course of the few days we were there, we discovered that the birds seemed to prefer the red grapes to the white ones. Was it because they were easier to see when swooping? Was it because of the tannins in the red grapes? Are the birds into more antioxidants from the red grapes...you know for their health? Whatever it was, we like to think of Mudgee birds as the preferring their cool climate reds instead...

Tips! Michael's little girl. She followed him all over the vineyard night and day. Very cute.

This is a view of the Sav Blanc we picked the first night we arrived. A couple of hours before sunset.

Ahhhh Sav Blanc! And organically grown. So healthy and sweet. With the late afternoon sun shining through.

Leonie picking the Sav Blanc.

Next morning nice and early with the beautiful golden sunrise from the east, and Leonie back on picking duties.

Leonie...just loving her bunch of grapes.

Dom set up and ready for day two early morning picking of organic Pinot Noir grapes. See the funky side bag he's carrying? These contain the little discs that we put into each bucket we filled, so at the end of the day, Michael knew how much to pay us for. Eassssyyyyyy!

Leonie pink disc in hand, ready to rock'n'roll.

Leonie once again, very much in love with these beautiful, healthy, organic grapes.

*note - she is kissing them, not eating them :)

Dom showing you a close up of the Pinot Noir.

This IS Dom eating the Pinot grapes...hahaha! Busted!

At days end, we have a couple of tonnes of Pinot for sending over to the winery to be made into lovely delicious organic Pinot Noir from Martins Hill Wines.

One of the ant hills on the property (on the way to the river that runs down the back of the property).

Same ant hill after Leonie stomped on it to see what would happen.
You can see how pissed off the ants are now :/

This is Dom....very, very, happy after making a pasta dish, with organic tomatoes from Jan's garden. Michael gave us some to use as they are growing and growing. So we thought 'what a great opportunity to make a simple Italian Sugo'. Dom did it with Basil, Chorizo Sausage and Chilli. It was delicious.

Leonie pouring us a nice sparkling (given to us by Murray Smtih from Canobolas-Smith Winery).
It was a lovely gift from Murray for Leonie's birthday. We enjoyed...

Leonie enjoying the bubbly nectar....

This is our water bladders in the hot sun, heating up on the dashboard for our showers back at the vineyard. We went into Mudgee town to explore the shops, cafes and pubs and so we left them there for a few hours. The temperature reached a hot 47 degrees eventually (this Leonie loved...Dom not so much, he likes it warm and gentle...pfewwww). 

Hanging off the car ready for our showers in the vineyard in the afternoon sun. 

Unbelievably, they hold 20L each and are supposed to give you up to 8mins of continuous water for a shower. And more unbelievably, we discovered that one of them was enough for the both of us (of course there's no hair washing time in there for Leonie...this would take another full bladder on it's own).

Leonie giving Dom an extra wash (he needed it) with the vineyard hose.

Michael is a great man, and very generously allowed us to stay on his land free of charge (even for a day or two when we were not picking grapes for him). He even gave us a bottle of his Organic Vintage Port named after Father Dunphy (On June 17th 1845, Father Dunphy lost his life when he was swept off his horse crossing the swollen river at the place where Martins Hill Wines now resides. He was 30 years old and was on the way back from a 4 day trek from the blue mountains...where he had gone to baptise 2 children).

Martins Hill Wines does a great selection of premium organic white and red wines and does not have a cellar door. You can order their wines for delivery, online here or contact them for more info 02 6373 1248.