I learnt that they started picking in the Hunter Valley a week last Monday, Jan 15  here . That is quite exceptionally early. If global warming continues, each year's vintage is going to begin before the year has even started. If you see what I mean. (We already know of German Eiswein picked in the calendar year after the vintage although that was a phenomenon of the pre-warming era.) I can't understand why no-one told me about Campbell Mattinson's exceptionally well-written website www.winefront.com.au before - especially since I spent almost a month in Australia last August. It must be that people are just awfully...