Friends lend a hand to help harvest shiraz crop

It was all hands on deck at Stakehill Estate Winery on Saturday as family and friends pitched in to help with the annual shiraz harvest.

Robert Bunney, who co-owns the Karnup vineyard along with wife Lee, said about three tonnes of the red grapes would be picked over the coming days to be used on-site to create the winery’s full-bodied shiraz.

“It takes about five years from planting the trees until they are ready to be picked,” he said. “We pick them when the sugar content is high. We just pick them up and bite into them and can tell when they are ready.

“You don’t want them too squashy — they go a bit like raisins if they are over-ripe.”

Mr Bunney said it is a long process to create the perfect red wine, but something the whole family takes pride in.

Winemaker Lee said the family had never looked back since the couple left their jobs and decided to open the Stakehill Road vineyard in 1998.

“We just love being outside,” she said. “We left our jobs at 52 and have never looked back.”

“Shiraz harvests happen at different times across WA, starting in Canarvon and working their way down — it’s all down to the difference in climate.” Daughter Rebecca Bunney helped her parents with the harvest.

She said she learned to appreciate good wine and the work that goes into creating it and had good memories of helping out when a student.

“Mum is the official winemaker,” she said. “She only adds what needs to be added.”

“I appreciate knowing more about where wine comes from and what type of grapes are used. Quite often wine is made in massive vats and you don’t know what chemicals they add.”