Winery dogs are so last year. The ultimate winery accessory this season is…a hen.
In a strange turn of events, one of the cellar hands at Jackson Estate turned up for his shift with his pet hen, Beaker, which clucked around the grape press to pose for a few photos.
There have been two ‘Winery Dogs’ books published already, and I’m sure there’s room for spin offs.
If there’s time for hens then things must be slowing down in the winery. Indeed, all the fruit is in the cellar. Those working the graveyard shift will return to day walking next week and the staff’s free hot lunches will come to an end (much to their disappointment).
The last batch of Sauvignon Blanc for the Grey Ghost is waiting for a wild fermentation to kick in, the barrel-fermented Chardonnay is almost dry, and the first batch of Pinot Noir, which arrived at the end of March is about to come off its skins after extended maceration. Something’s going on in most of the tanks but there’s a sense of calm after the storm (or is that exhaustion?) in the winery.
Check out my latest interview with John Stichbury, founder of Jackson Estate on why Marlborough needs to tighten up its labelling laws.
