Grape picking across the Hastings has commenced two weeks ahead of schedule with the season’s first crop of grapes to be processed within weeks.

Local vignerons say the perfect combination of a dry winter and hot spring has produced a glut of grapes that will produce a high quality variety of locally produced white and red wines.

Innes Lake Vineyards, a boutique Port Macquarie winery since 1988, has commenced its first pick of the year. Bob Charley said pinot noir is the first variety to hit the production process and will be followed by the chardonnay variety.

“This will be our 24th vintage,” Mr Charley said of the four hectare property that produces some of the best local varieties including the popular Little Fish Summer White. Jason Charley is overseeing the first harvest and said the quality of the fruit growing across the region this year is outstanding.

“The conditions have produced good fruit right across the state. The problem we usually experience in January is a lot of rain and that can cause problems like mildew on the fruit. We haven’t had that this year,” Jason said.

“I would have to say this is the best season we have had in eight to 10 years and the wine we will produce as a result will be of a higher quality.”

Two and a half tonne of pinot noir grapes left the vineyard this week for the crusher.

Bago Vineyard at Wauchope is expecting it to be a great year for Hastings wine connoisseurs.

“The grapes we have this year are magnificent,” winemaker Greg Hayward said yesterday.

Bago Vineyards will launch into its first harvest next week starting with their verdelho variety. The vineyard will also deliver wines made from its first crop of norton grapes, which Mr Hayward explains as being similar to their popular chambourcin, but with more pepper and spice. 

Cassegrain Winery, the region’s largest producer and exporter of local wines, has had a busy start to the year accepting first harvest grapes from smaller local producers for processing. Cassegrain Winery is the only vineyard in the Hastings, and one of a select few in the state, to produce sparkling wine using traditional methods.

John Cassegrain said the grape stock being sourced from Lake Innes, New England and Orange vineyards this week is exceptional, while the vines at their Hastings location will produce a high quality, full-flavoured semillon.

“The balance between the sugar and the acid for our sparkling base has been excellent,” Mr Cassegrain said. 

“I was concerned about the hot weather but the vines have stood up well. So far, what we can expect from this year looks good.”