Bouncing back from September’s devastating frosts

The recent frosts that swept across South Australia left many of us in the wine industry reeling, with vineyards suffering severe damage. However, amidst the setback, for us at least, there’s a glimmer of hope as we navigate the path to recovery.

The impact of frost

The frost event was nothing short of devastating. Temperatures plummeted below -3 degrees in some areas, causing widespread damage to our precious vines. The timing couldn’t have been worse, as the warm weather in early September had encouraged strong bud burst, leaving the young shoots vulnerable to the sudden cold snap.

At the time, walking through the rows of frost affected vines, the sight of blackened leaves and withered buds didn’t fill us with confidence for the coming season.

Signs of resilience

Despite the initial shock, nature has a remarkable way of bouncing back.

The recent warm weather has been a blessing, promoting new bud burst across the vineyard. We now have a feeling of cautious optimism. The initial growth looks promising, with vibrant green shoots emerging from what we feared were irreparably damaged vines. Perhaps the impact on the vintage may not be as bad as we had initially thought.

While the final outcome is yet to be revealed, the spirit of Evandale Estate remains unbroken. We’re committed to producing exceptional wines, and this experience has only strengthened our resolve.

This week we have cleared the grass from between the vines and as we continue to coax our vines back to health, we look forward to sharing the results of these efforts over the coming months.