Friends of the vineyard

We invited friends for drinks and nibbles, and of course they wanted to go see the vineyard again. It has become an annual pilgrimage to view the progress and see the different stages. It was a fine day so we all walked up to the top of the farm to see the view over Clew Bay, drinks in hand. Alex gave a bit of a geography lesson on the way.

 

Heartbreak in the vineyard

When  I went up to the vineyard to bag grapes, my heart sank. The majority of Rondo grapes were shrivelled and hard like desiccated raisins. 

Black rot. The day before, I had been measuring Brix and all looked okay. Today, it was horrendous. We'll have to make a decision - harvest early while there are still some grapes, or take a chance and wait till Brix reaches 20s. Its hard to know. 

At least the Pinot Noir is looking good. 

Warmest August and warmest month ever recorded

 

August was not only the warmest August ever recorded on Earth, but it was also the warmest month ever recorded on Earth, according to Copernicus. This is significant because typically, the warmest month of the year is July. The anomaly was more than 1.5 C higher than the LTA. 

For Ireland, August was only the 9th warmest on record. It was drier than average most of the month. 

This is going to be a wild ride. 

Brix report

The Rondo is looking very interesting this year. Shiny berries, spaced far apart in the bunches, are getting bigger with the rainfall. They are dark red and delicious but not yet ready to pick. Brix readings were 15, 16 and 17.

The Solaris down below don't look very nice, almost like someone has eaten them. Higher up, the Brix readings were 15, 19, 14, and 17. So one more week to go. 

The Pinot Noir are still small, hard green berries with no sign of ripening. But I am always hopeful. I will let them go as long as they want to. 

Hottest summer on record

 

Met Éireann has reported that the summer of 2026 was the hottest on record, 2.03 °C above the 1961-1990 long-term average (LTA) and 1.50 °C above the more recent 1999-2020 LTA. Six of the ten hottest summers have occurred since 2001, while provisional rainfall data also show summer 2026 was drier than average. 

Meanwhile, iconic French cheeses are threatened as climate change affects the grass that feeds the cattle that produce the milk. Apparently, cheese is as tightly controlled as wine appellations. If the farmers can't meet the requirements, they won't be able to label their cheeses as authentic. 

Winemakers are facing a similar situation. France's 2026 yield is down significantly because of climate conditions. 

AI Overview

French wine appellations are facing severe yield drops, with 2026 production plunging to a near 30-year low of 33.9 million hectolitres due to intense summer heatwaves and droughts. A hectolitre equals 100 litres. [1, 2, 3]

Declining Harvests and Yields

Lower volume: Production dropped 17% below the 2021–2025 average.
Regional damage: Champagne output was cut in half during the scorching 2026 summer.
Extreme weather: Repeated droughts, spring frosts, and heavy rains damage vines before harvest. [1, 2, 3]

Shifts in Harvest Timing and Wine Style

Earlier picking: Grapes ripen much faster. Harvests now start weeks or even a full month ahead of historical schedules.
Higher alcohol: Faster ripening creates more sugar in the fruit, which raises the final alcohol level in the bottle.
Loss of traditional taste: Rapid ripening changes the classic flavor balance that traditional appellation rules were built to protect. [1, 2]

Pressures on Appellation Rules

Rigid laws: Appellation rules (known as AOC or AOP) strictly dictate where grapes grow, how they are farmed, and what varieties winemakers can use.
Rule updates: Bordeaux updated its laws to allow seven new heat-resistant grape varieties, though use is strictly capped at 5% of a vineyard.
Leaving appellations: Some elite estates, such as Château Lafleur in Pomerol, have abandoned traditional regional labels entirely to use "Vin de France" designations for operational flexibility. Read more about this debate in Can Wine Appellation Systems Withstand Climate Change?. [1, 2]

Geographic Shifting

Moving north: Growers are planting new vineyards in northern regions like Brittany and Normandy where it used to be too cold.
New risks: Northern growers still face erratic weather, unseasonal frosts, and sudden heavy rains.

Strange weather

 

A gale blew on Sunday, most strangely. We reached gusts of 50.2 knots, with temperatures above 20C and high humidity. I've never felt weather like this in Ireland before. We had the occasional sprinkle but nothing much to speak of. It felt tropical, but here we are in September, and there have been no hurricanes in the Atlantic yet this year, and none are expected to form in the next 7 days. 

Meanwhile, I came down with a respiratory infection, probably Covid, which is reportedly circulating in the vicinity according to HSE trackers. So I am drinking a hot toddy with honey. It really works. 

The tides will be super high next week, so let's hope for the best. 

Albarino in polytunnel

 

I harvested the Albarino in the polytunnel as it was starting to look tired. The Brix measured 18-19. Not bad for our first crop of this fine grape from two vines rescued from the vineyard. There were several leaves that had 2 grapes growing out of them, a curious phenomenon I have not seen on other varietals. The Solaris and Rondo have grapes growing alongside tendrils but not alongside leaves. In future years, perhaps we can add the albarino to our Solaris must. It might make an interesting wine. 

I also harvested the single bunch of Buckland Sweetwater, a heritage variety, and it is nowhere near what it used to be at Ross. I imagine it will take a few years to produce those huge, juicy bunches Meike used to harvest.