Pre Vintage catch up with Blair, Will, Taylor & Phoebe

As we look forward to Vintage 2022, we caught up with some of our incredible Winery team to chat all things preparation and goals ahead of crushing season. We spoke to Winemakers Blair & Will, Cellar Manager Taylor, and Winery Admin Phoebe. This year will be Taylor’s first ever Vintage, and Phoebe’s first ever Vintage with Idyll. We look forward to another Vintage guided by the wealth of knowledge from our entire Idyll team.

Taylor & Phoebe, what are you most excited about for your first Vintage with Idyll?

Taylor: I am most excited about meeting all the new people and getting to know all the new staff from all over the world. I’m excited for the lively atmosphere this will bring to the company.

Phoebe: I have completed three vintages in the laboratory at another winery and got very used to the routine of this role. I’m excited to approach this vintage in a different role and with a different view of vintage processes.

Taylor, what does preparing your crew for Vintage look like?

This is the first vintage for most of our crew, myself included. There is a lot of training going on so we can get all our full-timers trained up in as many areas as possible, alongside some external training for forklift licenses, and confined space entry. Once Vintage commences, our fulltime team will then be split over the 3 shifts to cover the 24/7 production needed for vintage, building in skill redundancy, our fulltime team will be leading and training our vintage staff.

Phoebe, how does your role change once vintage commences?

I am unsure how my role will transition coming into vintage. Before my arrival, my position and duties held were a collaborative effort between many people. As my role had never been held by one person the tasks it holds are constantly growing as I learn more and take on more responsibilities. I look forward to learning more and taking on new challenges during the Vintage period.

Blair & Will, being seasoned winemakers means you’ve completed countless vintage periods. What aspect of Vintage still gets you the most excited?

At the start of vintage, it’s seeing the first bin of fruit being tipped in the crusher and seeing the staff working as a team to get the harvest done efficiently and safely. I also never get tired of the smell of yeast and fermentation in the air. Closer to the end of Vintage, seeing the final bin tipped and having the chance to stop and assess the quality of our work is always a highlight.

Blair & Will, can you talk us through the process of Vintage from a winemakers perspective?

The vast majority of what we do is achieved in the vineyard. It’s our role to ensure the quality follows through to the final wines. The routine is structured on the most part, analyse samples of fruit coming in, loading the press, clarifying the juice and then adding yeast and letting the magic happen. A lot of a winemakers vintage is dealing with the variables that crop up and balancing your choices to deal with issues to maximise quality at all times. Making choices on blending juice and finished ferments according to quality is important, as is staying on top of the overall picture, ensuring the process is happening efficiently, and safely.

Vintage always creates a certain positive buzz around the winery and the entire Idyll team is looking forward to Vintage 2022. Time to get crushing! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to keep up with our Vintage updates.