point in which bulk sales increased and quality improved. It also saw a progressive programme to plant more Shiraz and a decline in Mataro. By 1894 Hardy’s was the colony’s largest winemaker with a vintage of 315,000 gallons. Management of vineyards became a primary concern. Thomas Hardy instigated vine pruning competitions to encourage grape growing in McLaren Vale and optimise yields. (Soon after, children in the area were taught pruning as part of their school curriculum). Pruning was about the most important and skilled job in the vineyard. If done badly, the economic repercussions are enormous. Schoolboys and other locals were awarded certificates by the Agricultural Bureau to give vignerons some confidence when hiring labour. Some varieties were “spur pruned with two buds on a shoot, whereas Shiraz and other varieties had long canes wrapped on the trellis wire (rod pruning).” Thomas Hardy also established McLaren Vale’s first vintage fete in 1890, the forerunner of the region’s bushing festival. In 1899 Hardy’s was exporting between 200 and 250 hogsheads a month to England. The wine classed as “A” and “B” Blend, Burgundy and Claret styles were shipped in brand new oak (seasoned with salt and water to reduce the effect of new oak flavours in wine). The hogsheads, 18 at a time, were taken by six-horse wagons to the railway goods yards on Adelaide’s North Terrace.
McLaren Vale
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