Update on vineyard progress

 

Rondo with florets

Everything is so late this year. The Rondo has flower buds but none of the others do yet. The Albarino has suffered greatly over this winter. None of the vines are happy and quite a few look dead. I think the late cold snap did them in. 

May was cold and wet in Ireland according to Met Eireann's May Report. All rainfall totals were above their Long-Term Average (LTA) for the month. All mean air temperatures across the country were below their Long-Term Average for the month. Most long-standing stations had their coldest May since at least 1996. This is counterintuitive as all available sunshine totals were above their Long-Term Average (LTA). Who knows?

Overall Spring 2021 was relatively dry, sunny and cool, with a cool and sunny but dry March and April, and a wet May.

Water remains pooled over cement 2 days after rain. 

In fact, the day after the polytunnel went up, it rained solidly all day and half the tunnel flooded. The water coming off the tunnel pooled and flowed into the tunnel. Now, Alex has to put in a drain, for which he has started digging. Fortunately, the rainwater softened the earth and I was able to rake the soil a bit more evenly where the cement vehicle had left hideous muddy tire tracks dug into the soil. 

The last couple of days, we've spent breaking up and collecting the excess cement that had spilled on the floors around the posts. We'll use the rubble to fill the trench 

New drain diverting water downhill. 

The rain came off the tunnel and into the inside. 

Drainpipe that's been lying around waiting for this project for years. 

More vineyards in Ireland

The Journal.ie reported on the vineyards producing the nectar of the gods in the land of Guinness in 2015. They covered some of the more well-known vineyards. UK Vineyard report lists a few more, including ours - Daria's Vineyard. Ireland has a drop in the bucket compared with the UK nowadays. Last year, we recorded bud burst on the 15th of April. 

• Lusca Vineyard - Dublin
• Wellingtonbridge Vineyard - Wexford
• Viking Irish Drinks (Dennison's Vyd) - Waterford
• Ballydrehid House Estate Vineyard - Tipperary
• Watergrass Vineyard - Cork
• Daria's Vineyard - Mayo

We report bud burst to them, but not yet. I checked today and, although the Rondo is getting close, I wouldn't call burst just yet. I'd say we are at late bud swell. The good news is that it appears that the Albarino vines are alive. They really did appear dead a couple of weeks ago but now they have fresh-looking buds. Yippee!

By the way, our honey bees have been very active. I expect the orchard and vineyard to bear lots of fruit this year. Although grapevines are hermaphroditic and self-pollinate, bees are very important in maintaining a healthy organic ecosystem in the vineyard. Many people don't realise just how important they can be. Of course, they can also go after the sweet juices of the grapes if their foraging isn't supported otherwise. If we practice organic biodynamic husbandry, then everything should maintain its equilibrium. 

Rondo

Solaris

Chardonnay

Pinot noir

Albarino

Happy St. Daria's Day by the Julian Calendar. Alex says it's fitting that my name day should come on April Fool's Day!

Native black honeybee

Spring? Not really.

Yesterday was the first day of spring in the Northern hemisphere but today is cold and wet and raw. The vines have not yet woken up thank goodness. I was worried as we had the wettest windiest winter on record followed by a warm snap in late January that caused the fruit trees to start budding. The fresh leaves were quickly freeze-dried as the weather turned nasty again.

Alex ordered and planted replacement vines for the ones we lost and he worries that we'll lose a few more to the wet land. He has dug trenches around the young vines to keep them from drowning.

Meanwhile, a global pandemic has taken the world by storm. I read the NEJM every week to update myself on what's known but so much is not. Many countries are on lockdown, borders closed and citizens told to remain secluded indoors. We feel fortunate to be out in the country. We walk the land secure in the knowledge that the novel coronavirus won't get to us on our 10 acres unless we bring it in. What a bizarre situation the world is in.

So to lighten the mood, here's an image of Europe from space. They can actually see vineyards from up there.  And below are from yesterday's walk on the land.

Spring has finally arrived

Rondo is most advanced

After weeks of cold dry weather, a few days of sprinkles was followed by a week of fine warm weather over Easter. Finally, the vines were ready to burst forth. All have done so now. The five-year-old Rondo and Solaris vines have leafed. The two-year-old Solaris vines have leafed. The Chardonnays are just beginning. The Pinot and Albariño vines have started leafing, too. There is life in the vineyard, and the donkeys are back in the field next door. Alex is preparing to erect the first of the overhead trellises and he has bought a gate wide enough to drive a tractor through. Thinking ahead.

Spring is trying, then retreating

Several weeks ago it was warm enough to be out in T-shirts. Alex noted that the new chardonnay vines were sprouting and quickly planted them out in the field. Then he planted out the Pinot vines. There is still a batch of Albarino bare root vines that are heeled in to plant and trellises to build. But he was off buying cattle for his mother today so it will have to wait. Tomorrow, we're doing a webinar about sailing in Galicia, so it will have to wait again. Oh well, we have a few days open next week I think.

The bumblebees were out in force, feeding on the heather during the good weather. I counted 13 queens on one bush one day, mostly Bombus leucorum. It was good to hear their buzzing in the garden. The heather bush was the first thing I had planted when we were building the house. So glad I did. But I was also glad to learn that grapevines are not dependent on bees for pollination. The news about the collapse of the insect populations last week was alarming. More about that another day.

Spring is sprung

Solaris 3-yo vines

There is so much to be done, and Alex has done half of the major work already. Half the new vines have been dug in. Unfortunately, I cant help much as I have a pinched nerve in my hand causing excruciating pain. The rain has ceased and we have dry but cooler than normal weather. Unfortunately, we also have too many things happening at once: book launches, health issues, holidays, volunteer commitments, lectures, incessant travel. We have work to do on the boat on the garden, on ourselves. Have we bitten off more than we can chew? (What a funny expression!)

Rondo just waking up

New chardonnay, freshly planted and budding

The vines are awakening

It's just two days into Spring and the buds are getting robust. The white vines are slightly behind the red ones in development. Now's the time to keep a close eye on their development.

Red grape vine budding strongly

White grape vine just beginning