Gregoire – a vital factor in quality vineyards

18 December 2009
Contributor: Karl Gawlik

A fleet of Gregoire harvesters has been crucial to the success, reputation and ongoing development of one of South Australia’s largest vineyard contracting companies, according to Jeremy Matthias, General Manager-The Terraces Vineyard Management, Adelaide Hills.

“Some brands might appear to have the edge on paper but when it comes to operation in the field we’ve found Gregoire harvesters are by far the most reliable and versatile,” he said.

The Terraces Vineyard Management, based in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills, has provided a complete range of services for the establishment and maintenance of vineyards for over 20 years.  Operating in vineyards throughout the Limestone Coast, Barossa, Fleurieu, Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains, Riverland and McLaren Vale, the company has to deal with a diverse range of soils, terrains, age of vines and canopy types.

“Each vineyard has its own specific requirements.  In order to manage them professionally and produce the best results, we employ professionally trained, experienced operators and Gregoire harvesters for a clean pick and to maximise the quality of fruit delivered to the winery,” Jeremy said.

The Terraces’ first Gregoire harvester was a G60kw tow behind model, purpose-built for Australian conditions.  Two years later, to service growing demand, they bought a G120 self-propelled Gregoire harvester and, the following year, a self-propelled G108.

Jeremy said the company made the decision to stay with Gregoire.  “We know them.  We know how they operate and they do a great job in different regions right across the board, from large canopies and large crops, to smaller steep vineyards.”

The fleet now includes eight Gregoire harvesters: three tow behind machines and five self-propelled harvesters. “We took delivery of two G140 and two G152 self-propelled harvesters in January 2009 and we have another G152 arriving early 2010.  Because we offer the highest quality management and maintenance services, we want to take advantage of practical advances in harvesting technology,’ he said.

“Gregoire services the new machines for us in year one.  After that, we do all the stripping down and rebuilding.  Our diesel mechanic has driven harvesters in Canada, America and Europe and knows Gregoire machines very well.”

The Terraces uses the big G140 harvesters in McLaren Vale, the Riverland and the south-east.  “The G140 is a high capacity machine, perfect for older, big, sprawling canopies and high crop loads,” Jeremy said. 

In the Adelaide Hills, where many of the headlands are too small for the G140 harvester, G152 self-propelled harvesters come into their own. 

“The G152s are impressing growers immensely.  They really are the perfect all-round machine.  They’ve got a far superior four-wheel-drive system, and they are working in vineyards we never thought they’d handle, and doing it easily. 

“These harvesters are also picking high crop loads in McLaren Vale and the Riverland just as impressively as the bigger G140 harvesters,” he said.

“We’ve done side-by-side pick trials with other brand machines and you see a big difference with the Gregoire G152.  It gives a very, very clean pick and it’s also much quieter.  Another factor is the lack of canopy damage.  You’re not getting the same level of broken canes or defoliation of the vines.  It almost looks like a harvester hasn’t been through at all.”