Welcome to the blog of Johnathan Grieve.

I am the proprietor of Avondale wine estate, and pioneer of the BioLOGIC® approach to sustainable viticulture. The transformation of Avondale from over-used and abused land into a thriving, robust vineyard ecosystem has been a personal learning journey of more than a decade long. This blog is where I share some of what I have learnt about promoting life on our farm and the wonderful impact this has had on our handcrafted premium quality wines.

Johnathan Grieve

Nutrients and their impact on healthy plant growth – B is for Boron

Nutrients and their impact on healthy plant growth – B is for Boron

Monday, 17 Sep 2012 | ,

Without Boron, healthy plant growth can’t make a start.
This is why, at Avondale, we test for the optimal presence of Boron in our soils, and if necessary, we supplement our soils with natural sources of Boron. We prefer to supply this via the soil because the Boron is primarily responsible for sap flow up from the soil and specifically in the roots xylem. This can be applied in foliar feeds during the growing season but more as a band aid and not first choice.

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Winter Ends on a Chilly Note

Winter Ends on a Chilly Note

Friday, 7 Sep 2012 | ,

A colder than usual season that ended with particularly frosty cold snap has brought its particular blessings. Cold Winters help to control potential outbreaks of above ground pests and diseases. But what every wine farmer is watching for over the winter months is the number of chilling units. This is a measure of the accumulation of cold units or chilly hours that we get in a day, when the minimum temperature is below 15°C and maximum stays under 20°C.

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Follow the Lunar Tasting Calendar on Twitter

Follow the Lunar Tasting Calendar on Twitter

Thursday, 23 Aug 2012 | ,

Avondale has created a new twitter account @LunaCalendar so that you can easily find out what lunar cycle we are in while you manage your social media accounts. The lunar tasting calendar is derived from the biodynamic planting calendar formulated by Maria Thun in the 1950’s. It is being increasingly used nowadays to gauge the affect that the moon has on a living product such as wine.

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La Luna Paired with Old-Fashioned Oxtail Stew

La Luna Paired with Old-Fashioned Oxtail Stew

Wednesday, 22 Aug 2012 | , ,

The blast of late Winter cold has perked up my appetite for the kind of hearty all-in-the pot supper that brings inner warmth and comfort on a chilly night. This tasty recipe for a slow-cooked, traditional-style oxtail stew takes time but it is well worth the wait. We pair it with Avondale’s velvety and elegant classic red blend, La Luna. Made from organically-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, La Luna offers scents of cedar, truffles and dark fruit with full plum and mulberry flavours that perfectly complement rich, clove-tinged meatiness of the oxtail stew.

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Engaging with the Energies of Place through Dowsing

Engaging with the Energies of Place through Dowsing

Thursday, 2 Aug 2012 | , ,

My interest in Biodynamic farming led me to finding out about a Field Broadcaster; and when I was investigating how to install the Field Broadcaster on Avondale land I learnt that I needed to put it up on a ‘power spot’. “How do I find a ‘power spot’?” I asked Quantum Agriculture expert, Hugh Lovel. His answer was: dowsing. Hugh added that I didn’t actually have to learn to dowse myself as he could help me find an optimal Avondale power spot by “remote” dowsing. I was intrigued to see how that would work out, so I took him up on the offer even though I was also inspired to learn to dowse myself.

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Johnathan’s views on Fruit versus Root – Luna Taste Test

Johnathan’s views on Fruit versus Root – Luna Taste Test

Wednesday, 18 Jul 2012 | , ,

“I’m really not into any kind of green/organic/bunny-hugging winemaking stuff – I just like good wines. So it was quite a shock to realise how much better the wines were on certain days for no real reason other than the green/organic/bunny-hugging one of reacting to the different phases of the moon. Honestly – I didn’t think this was going to work and when it did, I had absolutely no idea it would be so dramatic and defined. I am definitely checking the days I taste on the biodynamic calendar now, especially when I’m asked to review a wine, to try and taste it on the best day possible to give it the fairest chance. Oh and – of course – give me the greatest chance of enjoying it too!” Cathy Marston

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Johnathan Grieve

As family man… Avondale is a family farm where we appreciate that the health and balance of our living system is inextricably linked to well-being of our families. As a father of two and a husband, as son and brother, my inspiration to achieve a robust, balanced vineyard ecosystem is to ensure that Avondale will support the lives of our future generations.

As artist… A passion for jazz and a love for all forms of art, especially woodwork and sculpture led me into four years of fine art studies – an eclectic education for a budding a farmer, for sure! However, I have found that in so many ways, the patterns, interconnections and openness of the artistic worldview have influenced my understanding of how living systems work.

As farmer… My interest in farming started early when I was a boy growing up on a small-holding outside of Durbanville. I planted and tended my own vegetables which I sold to family and friends. I hardly imagined at that time though that I would one day become a farmer. However, the theme of a healthy balanced life was embedded in our family’s outlook.

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