Veraison has begun!

 

The grapes have started to turn colour but they are still quite petite. I hope they get to fill in a bit more before harvest. We had two storms back to back in less than a week -- not as bad as further south of us which got the brunt of the winds and rain. Fortunately, we staked just before the storms and we did not lose anything except one branch. I think the vineyard is quite protected by the orchard and hedges. Today, the winds turned to the North and it got quite cool. I hope the heat returns in time to help the grapes reach a good sugar content. 

Only the Rondos have fruited and they are quite heavily laden. Only one Solaris fruited -- the only one left potted in the nursery. No other Solaris even bloomed this year. I wonder what's the story there. 

So far the Pinot Noir vines are the most promising from the newer plantings. The Albarino sadly looks like it is struggling to survive. 

We are experimenting with adding some seaweed around the first ten vines. We'll see if that improves the vigor of the fruit next year, or if the growth gets too robust. 

How tariffs have affected wine sales

An analysis in Barron's and carried in Penta described how US tariffs on EU goods have affected wine sales in the US. Last October, the U.S. government began imposing 25% tariffs on still wine from several European countries in retaliation for European subsidy of Airbus. Those tariffs were supposed to expire now, but the US government has decided to let them continue. 

Tariffs on alcoholic beverages are causing harm to U.S. small businesses and the hospitality industry. The 25% tariffs mean that for every US$1 in harm dealt to EU businesses an estimated US$4.52 is dealt in damage to U.S. businesses. This is hard to absorb on top of the Covid-19 pandemic fallout. 

The US has a prohibition-era law that requires only US-owned businesses to deliver wine to consumers in a three-tier system. The U.S. distribution system requires wine producers (which can include importers) to sell to wholesalers, which then sell to retailers, which sell to consumers, meaning margins for most of these businesses are relatively modest. 

Allowing the tariffs to continue has sent a message to all these small businesses. I hope they take that message to the polls in November. 

Still raining

We had a little bit of sunshine yesterday, interspersed with showers, in the aftermath of Storm Ellen. One of those 'Oh, it's sunny let's go out - No, it's raining better go in.' days. Seemingly continuing today. 

We got off okay. Just one gust around 60 knots in the middle of the night, but mostly winds in the range of 40 knots, and little damage. Storm Ellen brought us much rain -- buckets full all around the house. Newport had 28.8 mm rain on the 20th, 4 mm on the 21st, and 5.5 on the 22nd. I haven't gotten into the vineyard to see the grapes, but the vines looked fine from the orchard, as far as I got before the rain yesterday. And it's not supposed to let up much. 

There are two Tropical Storms in the Atlantic heading for the Gulf of Mexico. If they become hurricanes, it will be the first time two hurricanes enter the Gulf at the same time ever. Texas is bracing to take the brunt. Fortunately, those storms are not forecast to come our way. Fingers crossed. 

CUMULATIVE RAINFALL GRAPHS

Rain and tides

Well, as I was afraid, we got more rain yesterday than anywhere in the country (see chart - Newport closest). And it's still showering from time to time. But the wind was not as bad as feared. The highest gust came in the middle of the night with 60 knots that shook the house. Otherwise, sustained below 40 kts mostly. Not much damage, thank goodness. That water should help the grapes fatten up. The wind will not have carried as much salt spray as the last storm, so hopefully, the salt damage will be minimal. 

The donkeys were fine and came out for their treat of carrots as I promised. 

We also had huge tides yesterday and today, with a good harvest of seaweed for the compost. The road was under water this morning so no going out. We heard that our irate neighbour from the island drove her van through the tide in the morning and stalled at the last stretch, the deepest part. Someone towed her out with a tractor. There was seaweed on the bonnet and the lights had shorted out and were blinking all day. She must have been heading for the airport. Oh well. Lessons are learned that way. 

Station	Rain (mm)	Max Temperature (ºC)	Min Temperature (ºC)	Sun (hr)	Wind Gust (Kts)	Wind Speed (Kts)	Soil (ºC)	Global (J/cm^2)	Gmin (ºC)
Athenry	11.4	19.7	13		54	12.4	16.9	1253	12.2
Ballyhaise	12	18.9	11.9		51	13.7	16.5	1014	11.4
Belmullet	12.2	19	13.7	7.1	45	22	17.7	1709	12.9
Casement	7.1	20.3	13.4	10.1	53	21.2	16.7		11.2
Claremorris	14.6	19.2	12.4		43	14.1	16.5	1101	12
Cork Airport	8.9	18	12.9	4.1	42	19.6	15.8		12.4
Dublin Airport	3.7	20.3	14	3.4	39	16.6	16.1	1090	12.2
Finner Camp	10.2	20.3	12.2		53	16.9	n/a	1275	12.1
Dunsany	6.3	19.8	12.9		39	14.4	16.9	1351	11.6
Gurteen	12.8	19.4	12.7	3	43	17.7	16.3	1324	11.9
Johnstown Castle	7.4	17.8	14.2	1.5	47	18.7	16.8	894	12.3
Knock Airport	19.5	17.6	11.7		49	16.5	15.6		11.3
Mace Head	25.1	18.2	13.6		57	25.3	n/a	1636	12.8
Malin Head	11	19.6	13.7	2.4	58	23.9	15.9	1046	12.7
Markree Castle	14.2	19.8	13		n/a	n/a	16.9	1103	12.1
Moore Park	16.2	19.1	13.7		40	14.7	17.5	1443	12.1
Mt Dillon	25.2	20.4	12.3		55	n/a	16.3	n/a	10.8
Mullingar	11.6	19.1	12.1		45	15	16.8	1058	11.2
Newport Furnace	28.8	18.8	13.2		41	16.8	17.3	1204	12.5
Oak Park	17.5	19.7	13.3		42	19.4	17	1495	11.9
Phoenix Park	2.5	21.5	14.4		n/a	n/a	18.1	1689	11.5
Roches Point	5.8	18.4	13.4		50	28.2	16.9	1564	12.7
Shannon Airport	7.8	19.6	13.3	3	54	17.4	17.6		12.4
Sherkin Island	3.6	18.6	14.5		44	25	16.6	1469	12.4
Valentia	12.3	18.5	14	3.4	41	16.7	17.6	1245	12.7

Bracing for Storm Ellen

Rondo grapes

The vines have been progressing well and the Rondo grapes, though small, look promising. We've had a wonderful bout of fine weather, even when the southern part of the island has had torrential rains and flooding. But now we sit bracing ourselves for storm Ellen, the result of post-tropical storm Kyle and a new depression that will feed it to create a powerful cyclonic Force 11 storm. It's to hit tonight, with the strongest winds in the south which has a red warning. We have an orange warning and it looks like the eye is going to pass right over us, just as last year Hurricane Lorenzo's eye passed directly overhead. 

It's obviously going to affect our harvest as the amount of rainfall will be high. At least we have a month to go before harvest, so maybe things will even out before that. You can see the wind damage on the leaves from the last storm that hit at the end of spring. Everything was just recovering and now this. It's getting tough.

But at least we have the bees, native black honey bees. A friend brought over a swarm for the hive we have had standing empty after the year that all the bees died from a very wet winter. I hope these guys stick around to help pollinate the orchard and vegetable garden. 

The climate disruption and the Covid complication are wreaking havoc. At least we have the US elections to distract us. 

Two systems merging: TS Kyle plus another low

The blue spot in the middle is passing over Clew Bay -- our house. 

It's already raining ahead of the storm

I hope these don't become before and after shots

Alex checking the hive.

I told the donkeys to seek shelter - they went over to the North side

August brings the sun

 

Rondo grapes developing nicely

After a rainy July, sun in August has caused everything to explode. The vines are growing like mad and needed to be tied up. We're using electrical tape to secure the main trunk to the sticks Alex 'planted' next to the vines. The idea is that by the time the sticks rot away, the trunks will be able to support themselves. That has proven true for the first ten. 

The grapes are fattening quickly, too.  At least the Rondo are. The Solaris don't seem to be doing as well this year. 

I thought the Chardonnay vines weren't doing well and we did lose one, but they are coming on better now. 

The surprises are the new vines. The Pinot noir are very robust but the Albarino are looking sickly. I couldn't identify anything specific but I suspect they are infected with a fungus. Very sad. I had such high hopes for them.

The weather is spectacular and we are promised a week of benign weather. Could it be true?  

Three-year-old Chardonnay on the right and Solaris on the left 

The vineyard cat, Louise, helping out in the shade

The 5-year-old section of Rondo (left) and Solaris (right), kite overhead doing its job

Lots of grapes. Will need to cut out some leaves tomorrow. 

Encouraging grape development

Pinot Noir on the right

Rain, rain go away!

The kite at work

Ever since I ordered the new garden furniture, it's been raining just about every day. It's been cold, dark and windy, too. The fluctuations in temperature have been brutal on the fruit trees and the grapes. I'm afraid it will be a bad year for grape growing in Ireland. So not only a pandemic, but a crop failure to boot. 

The apples have been falling off the trees at golf ball size. The birds ate the cherries, and there are very few pears compared with prior years. We did have a good crop of raspberries and black currents but a mediocre crop of strawberries and red currants. At least Alex's kites have been doing their job protecting the fruit from the crows. The days when we have to take it down because of high winds, the crows got a feast. 

The vineyard

Rondo grapes

Solaris grapes

Gardening in the orchard

Ominous clouds and a hole in the sky

House freshly painted with new windvane on the chimney

The new dining table 

Fallen apples made a nice jelly

View from the top of the farm

My vista. Vineyard on the far right.