14/08/2026
Walk through a Margaret River vineyard in winter and you might think everything’s asleep. Look closer, there’s a lot going on. 🍇❄️
🌱 Between the rows, cover crops like clover and vetch aren’t just sitting pretty. Their roots are teaming up with soil bacteria to pull nitrogen straight from the air and feed it back into the ground: free fertiliser, no chemicals required. Our Mediterranean winters (cool, wet, mild) are actually prime growing season for them, unlike the vines themselves.
✂️ Meanwhile the vines are getting their annual haircut. Pruning now shapes next vintage before it’s even budded. Every cut is a decision about how much fruit the vine will carry come summer.
🐑 And keeping the grass down between vineyard blocks? That’s a job for the sheep. Living lawnmowers, doing double duty as w**d control and (eventually) a bit of natural fertiliser of their own.
Dormant on the surface, busy underneath, that’s winter in the vines. This is one of my favourite times to bring guests through the region; the vineyards are quiet, the light is beautiful, and you get some of the best experiences engaging with cellar door staffs!
📍 Margaret River, WA
📷 Bonjour Margaret River - Private Driver & Wine Tours
