WITH sleeves rolled and a fleet of Gregoire harvesters stripped down and rebuilt, a Yarra Glen vineyard contractor is busy harvesting, ANDREA MAYES writes

After last season's disastrous fires and all-pervasive smoke taint, not many people are game to predict a good grape harvest in the Yarra Valley this year, but the signs are positive.

    IN A WORD
  • MAKE: GREGOIRE
  • MODEL: G65 tractor-towed harvester
  • LIST PRICE: $215,000 +GST
  • BEST FEATURE: Chris said the Arc system picking head gently shakes the fruit off, giving a clean pick and top-quality fruit.
  • MORE DETAILS: Gregoire-Vinestar freecall: 1800 228 824 or www.gregoire-vinestar.com.au

Chris Lowe, owner of Vineyard Services, has his four Gregoire tow-behind harvesters ready to roll, and his fingers crossed.

Chris started his business in 1989 after finishing a degree in agricultural science at Melbourne University and working as a fencing contractor.

"I was fencing and putting in posts for so many vineyards, the idea of contract harvesting grew from there," Chris said.

"We still do fencing work, ground preparation and slashing, as well as the complete range of vineyard services."

Chris bought his first Gregoire harvester 10 years ago.

He said it worked so well he added another one every couple of years, to meet increasing demand for services.

"My first impressions were that the Gregoire did a better job than the others and over the years, they haven't let me down.

"Our goal is to maximise picking and minimise damage to vines and trellises, and that's what you get with a Gregoire harvester.

"I'd definitely buy another one.

"They look complex but they're actually a fairly simple, sensible design that works well.

"There's not much matter other than grape, and you get good quality fruit," he said.

"The Arc system picking head gently vibrates, shaking the fruit off instead of smacking it.

"It operates at a higher frequency than a lot of other machines.

"The harvester has quite good access for cleaning.

"Better than others I've seen."

His harvesters are Gregoire G60 Kw models.

Kw is said to stand for kangaroo wide, a term coined by the French for machines built extra wide and more robust to suit Australian conditions, where vines tend to have bigger canopies.

Peter Dennis, sales manager for Gregoire-Vinestar, said the G60 tow-behind harvester, now superseded by the G65, is popular because of its versatility on differing terrains and trellising.

"It's a tough machine but tender on the fruit," Peter said.

"It suits medium to large vineyards in flat or undulating country and will easily handle a range of trellising including double cordon and conventional and minimum pruned.

"You get a good clean pick from big old canopies as well as young vines."

The Gregoire tow-behind harvester has a hydraulic pump integrated to three point linkage for easy assembly, and a right-hand discharge.

A conveyor alarm alerts the operator to potential jamming of material, and an articulated hitch operated from the tractor seat gives a very short turning circle, vital on tight headlands.

A wide harvesting tunnel allows for easy entry of vegetation and minimal impact on the vine.

Vineyard Services employs 10 staff including mechanic, Terry Stubbs.

Chris said having a mechanic on staff was all about timing.

"You need to have someone there who can do the work when you need it, whether it's full services off season, or repairs needed quickly so we don't keep clients waiting."

Terry has a wide range of machinery to maintain and a fleet of 12 tractors, including four New Holland narrow vineyard tractors and two Landini Rex 105 models, designed for vineyards and orchards.

In a good season, Chris and his team will harvest about 400ha.

"If you get about 1000 bottles from one tonne of grapes, and we harvest 1000 tonnes, it means those Gregoire harvesters have helped produce one million bottles of wine," Chris said.

But the industry is struggling in the Yarra Valley after a slow in demand and a bad fire season.

"We'll keep doing what we're doing but we'll have to batten down the hatches for a couple of years and just hope things come good again," he said.

"Spending a day out or a weekend in the Yarra Valley is the best way to help the region get back on its feet."