In the Vineyard with Lilian Carter: Making Pinot Grigio in King Valley

Making quality Pinot Grigio starts long before the bottle is opened. In Victoria’s King Valley, oenologist Lilian Carter works closely with vineyard teams to determine the ideal harvest date, protect natural acidity and manage the grapes from vineyard to winery. It’s a combination of timing, technical knowledge, weather watching and plenty of educated guesswork.

Harvest Is All About Timing

Harvesting Pinot Grigio at Chrismont Vineyard in Victoria’s King Valley is a carefully coordinated operation. When Lilian Carter, Australia & New Zealand Oenologist at The Flying Winemaker, was preparing for harvest, she was watching the weather closely and staying in constant contact with the vineyard manager.

The goal? Pick each parcel when the grapes reach their optimum Baumé, or sugar level, without allowing sugars to climb too high or natural acidity to fall away.

Lilian had to make what she calls a “highly educated guess” about the picking date several days in advance. It might sound simple, but harvest decisions have a major logistical impact. Once grapes are picked, they need to reach the winery and be processed quickly.

In wine, good timing isn't just about flavour. It’s about coordinating an entire supply chain.

Why King Valley Is Ideal for Pinot Grigio

Over the past decade, the King Valley wine region has developed a strong reputation for premium white grape varieties.

Surrounded by the mountains and granite landscapes of the Great Dividing Range, the region has become particularly well suited to varieties such as Pinot Grigio and Prosecco.

That matters because today's drinkers are increasingly drawn to wines that are fresh, crisp, lighter and refreshing — styles that work beautifully across modern dining occasions and a wide range of cuisines.

For producers, King Valley offers an exciting environment for making wines with brightness, freshness and strong food-pairing potential.

From Grape to Glass: What Happens at the Winery?

Once the grapes arrive, Lilian's work shifts from vineyard timing to winemaking detail.

She monitors the free-run juice extraction rate, makes decisions around skin contact, tastes the juice as fermentation develops, reviews fermentation charts, and checks the analytical numbers throughout the process.

There is no single magic button that makes a good wine.

It is a series of small decisions — made at the right time — that ultimately shape the finished bottle.

For Pinot Grigio, preserving freshness and natural acidity is particularly important. The winemaking process therefore becomes a careful balance between fruit expression, texture, freshness and structure.

Adapting to a Changing Vineyard

The growing season described by Lilian was unusually “typical” — something that, in modern viticulture, doesn't necessarily happen very often.

King Valley growers increasingly have to contend with cooler, wetter, and more unpredictable conditions. That means vineyard teams need to respond quickly and understand what is happening across individual blocks and parcels.

One technique Lilian highlights is cane pruning. Although it can be more expensive, it provides greater flexibility when managing the vineyard canopy.

As Lilian puts it:

“I have more tools in the toolbox now!”

That adaptability is increasingly important in contemporary wine production. The vineyard and winery cannot operate independently; viticulturists and oenologists need a strong understanding of each other's work.

And according to Lilian, they may have more in common than you'd expect:

“A bit mad!!”

The Human Side of Winemaking

Behind every bottle of Pinot Grigio is a surprising amount of observation, coordination, and decision-making.

From checking ripeness in the vineyard to monitoring fermentation in the winery, Lilian Carter's role demonstrates how modern winemaking combines science, experience, instinct and teamwork.

And perhaps that's what makes wine so interesting. Even when the process is highly technical, there is still plenty of room for judgement, personality and a little bit of madness.

By Annabel Jackson

FAQs

What makes King Valley good for Pinot Grigio?

King Valley's climate and landscape make it well suited to producing fresh, crisp white wines. The region has become particularly recognised for varieties such as Pinot Grigio and Prosecco, which can produce lighter, refreshing styles with strong food-pairing appeal.

When should Pinot Grigio grapes be harvested?

Pinot Grigio grapes should be harvested when they reach an appropriate level of ripeness and Baumé, while retaining sufficient natural acidity. Weather, vineyard conditions, and individual grape parcels all influence the final harvest decision.

What does an oenologist do during harvest?

An oenologist oversees the winemaking process, including juice extraction, skin-contact decisions, fermentation monitoring, tasting, laboratory analysis and adjustments needed to achieve the desired wine style.

Why is vineyard management important for wine quality?

Vineyard management influences grape ripeness, acidity, flavour development and overall fruit quality. Techniques such as cane pruning can give vineyard teams greater flexibility when responding to changing weather and canopy conditions.