All done! For now.

Albarino, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Solaris in that order

This morning I finished tying up the last few vines. It's looking very civilised and tidy now. Actually looks like a proper vineyard. I will continue to prune back and remove some leaves to help the grapes mature. 

Once again, there was rain in the forecast that did not materialise. At least we got some yesterday. 

I was using a device that sometimes works to tie up the vines. But I do not like it. It puts plastic into the environment, wastes a great deal of that plastic and makes it take a lot longer to complete a job. The unit pulls out a swathe of plastic tape, you slide it over the vine and wire, then clamp down and it staples and cuts the plastic tape -- sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't staple, sometimes it doesn't cut, and sometimes it gets stuck inside the tool. Very frustrating. And the tool often gets stuck on the vine if it's thicker. I wasted so much tape that I had to order more. 

What I also ordered were all kinds of things for securing viney growth, like stretch mesh tape, special cable ties and a new supposedly much-improved device. We'll see. My past use of nylon stocking strips was not as effective in the vineyard because they decompose every year, and I need them to last for several years until the vines are strong enough to stand on their own. 

Anyway, happy last day of July. I must say, the weather was much improved over June. I heard today that they are beginning to harvest Chardonnay grapes in Portugal, the earliest they've ever matured by far. The heat waves on the Continent have been brutal.