Vintage 2026 is done and dusted, rapidly receding into the distance of the rear-view mirror. Just like that another cycle in the life of our Casita Miro vineyard has come full circle. Did we take a moment to pause, give thanks for all of the small victories, near misses and collaboration on the part of the weather gods? Just a brief moment and then on to the next phase of vineyard tasks and work in the cellar to help the new wines on their way.

This past year we set up a time lapse camera at the bottom end of our North Block here in the Onetangi Valley. The result is the following video clip which condenses almost an entire growing season into a mere 50 seconds.

We begin in the quiet depths of winter, the vines dormant, bare of any leaves and conserving energy in their roots systems.

With the advent of spring comes budbreak, tiny buds swelling and bursting open into shoots.

As spring warms towards early summer we can see the vines flowering - miscroscopic green flowers emerging which then self polinate. These polinated flowers transform into tiny, hard, green grapes during the early summer season.

And eventually, as summer heats up the grapes begin to soften and change colour, depending on the variety - a process known as veraison. This also signals the moment when grapes begin to ripen, building sugar content and becoming very tempting to the local bird population. Time for one of the most strenuous vineyard tasks - netting the vines, row by arduous row. We aim to have covered the entire vineyard around the time that veraison is taking place.

Under their new protective cover the grapes continue to ripen during the warmest period of the year and eventually reach optimum ripeness (with perfectly balanced levels of sweetness and acidity). They're now ready to be harvested. We need dry conditions and aim to pick our grapes in the early morning hours before the day heats up too much (for the sake of both the grapes and the pickers!) Harvest this year lasted 56 days, beginning on Feb 4th (Chardonnay) and ending April 2nd (Cabernet Sauvignon).

From here on in the nets are removed, cleaned, repaired and packed away ready for next year. And the leaves take on autumnal colours and fall from the vine as carbohydrates move once again to the roots of the plant.

Another vintage has played out on the stage that is our family vineyard here at the oceanic end of the Onetangi Valley. And already this season's fruit has been transformed into wines that in turn will be bottled, whites and rosés ready for next summer's visitors. The reds having an additional year or so of seasoning in barrel, but already showing the kind of rich flavour, structure and balance that bodes well for years ahead.

Pour yourself a glass and join us in saluting another fine vintage here at the Little House of Miro.