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...
At Avondale, we have been working according to the biodynamic lunar calendar for many years. So when we introduced the idea of the Luna Taste Test, we had a good idea of what the outcomes would be. That said, it was a lot of fun for us to put our necks out and work...
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.