In fact, he couldn't have planned it any better than Mother Nature this year. The sweltering temperatures were just what the grapes needed to seal the deal of what will become an exceptional vintage.

"[Before the heat] we were in a position where the sugar level was up, flavour levels were pretty good but the acids were really high. That meant the grapes were tasting a bit green and a bit bitter," he said.

"Those hot days burnt the acid out so when I tasted the grapes yesterday and today that acidity was gone. They've still got really good flavour and sugar and acid, but now the grapes are tasting very clean and fresh."

The shift in taste sparked an urgent move to get all of the white grapes off the vines.

The team has been picking 24 hours a day. Hand picking continues all day and then the mechanical picker goes all through the night.

"We are picking them as quickly as we can. These cooler few days are going to hold the grapes where they are and they are not going to mature much at 22 or 23 degrees.

Ninety percent of Tyrrell's white grapes will have been picked by the weekend.

"The white vintage, instead of taking two and a bit weeks is going to take one and a bit weeks," Mr Tyrrell said.

"We're picking more white by the machine than we normally would, and we've got good operators going as gentle and as steady as they can."

The red grapes are expected to be picked in about two weeks.

"This cloudy weather is quite good for them and also for the pickers," he said.

"I think we've had the heat of summer and we've got a couple of good weeks infront of us.

"I think nature is repaying us for the hard time it gave us last year ... 2020 was a disaster."

Mr Tyrrell praised the efforts of his young pickers who make up about one-third of his team.

"These young people are 15 through to 17 and gee they are a wonderful lot. They are all locals, we have people out of Newcastle and Maitland - they are people looking for work and they're doing a good job," he said.