Lots to report since our last newsletter!

We now have a vintage in the new winery under our belt and whilst the equipment performed very well under Mark's watchful eye, we are particularly proud of how James and Bill's leadership pulled the all new cellar staff into a very strong and effective team. We managed to crush 13,000 tonne which is a huge effort for our first vintage.

Work is now commencing on the site for our bottling line and whilst it is some way off, we are accumulating various bits of equipment that will be needed when the site is finished.

The Berton Vineyards 200 Club was started for customers who have supported us before we became known and will be limited to just 200 members. These members will receive our quarterly newsletter to let you know what we are up to, tell you about our latest wine releases, as well as a special wine offer each quarter. Reduced prices across our entire range are also available on any purchases.

Vintage 2008 was a challenging vintage due to the extreme weather conditions we experienced in January and throughout the vintage period.This was unfortunate, as prior this we had some of the best growing conditions we could hope for. Mild, dry spring days with cool nights set the stage for what we anticipated would be a low yielding, great quality vintage.

Despite the difficult conditions, the fruit quality was very good. We were able to harvest the whites earlier than usual, before the heat did any damage to the grapes, resulting in lower alcohol contents in our 2008 whites. We are delighted with the outcome and the quality of the whites which show fresh, attractive varietal characters. Chardonnay was a standout with elegant fruit and great complexity.

The reds held up quite well as they were still quite green during the heat wave we experienced towards the middle of vintage. The hot weather also caused many varieties to ripen at the same time, making life interesting for the winemaking team! The Shiraz harvested this year was the standout showing amazing berry fruit characters and richness with vibrant colour.

Berton Vineyards total crush for 2008 was 10,337 tonnes, a substantial increase from the 5,647 tonnes we crushed in the 2007 vintage.

Bob and Paul have recently returned from a two week sales and market development visitation to the UK. Primary reason for their annual May trip is to attend the London International Wine Trade Fair (LIWTF).

The LIWTF is one of the world's most attended wine Expo's with wines and producers represented world wide.

It is a great chance to put our comprehensive range of wines on display and tasting for the "world" to see. The wines continue to be well received and endorsed by the UK wine trade.

Berton Vineyards agents from Denmark and Holland also visited the Fair to catch up with new developments in the portfolio. It is great to report that new markets in the UK and Europe have been established as a result of the trip.

A highlight of the fair was our Berton Vineyards Coonawarra Cabernet receiving GOLD in the highly acclaimed and respected Decanter World Wine Awards - a great achievement for our dedicated winemaking team.