THE traditional ring of a 100-year-old bell marked the start of a new vintage at Chateau Tanunda on Thursday, as the fall of rain brought a welcomed sign of luck.

Pinot from the Semillon vineyard was the first off the truck, destined to become rosè, with large loads of chardonnay to follow.

Chateau Tanunda owner John Geber said some blocks are looking good, but a dry summer has him expecting a below-average vintage.

Combined with last year’s introduction of tariffs on imported wine into China, Mr Geber said many in the industry are feeling a sense of uncertainty.

“It’s a massive challenge for a lot of our small growers, so we go in (to vintage) with a lot of trepidation,” he said.

“We are going in with a lot of our growers not getting the money they would – they haven’t had contracts and guys are saying we don’t need the wine.

“Because all that high-quality beautiful Barossan grapes were going to China in those wines. Now that’s stopped.”

Mr Geber said it’s also shaping up to be a compact vintage at the Chateau.

“Usually you have whites and then it will flow slowly into reds, but it looks to us this year whites have ripened very quickly but the reds are right on their tail and ripening at the same time,” he said.

“So I think it’s going to be compact, a lot of hard work, and late nights getting it through.

“But I think the big thing here at the Chateau is we have been through 131 years, two world wars, and three major depressions – there is no reason the Barossa and the Chateau shouldn’t come through again.”

The ringing of the historic bell on Thursday also included a traditional delivery of grapes from David Liersch, of Bethany, whose vineyard has been supplying the Chateau for almost all its vintages in its 130 years.