Veraison!

 

We hadn't checked in a few days — we were too busy pruning. To our surprise, Rondo has started changing colour — veraison has begun. The berries are looking good overall, but the growth is ridiculously vigorous. Side shoots have secondary berry clusters which I am removing. They won't mature but are sapping strength from the primary crop. 

This week's rain has caused the berries to start plumping up. Even the Pinot Noir grapes are swelling, but no sign of colour change. 

Even Pinot Noir is filling out. 

Thunderstorm warnings

 

Apparently, we had thunderstorms overnight, but Alex and I slept through them, or maybe they skipped us. Nevertheless, we've got a T-storm warning today but no evidence of rain so far. The earth is parched and the rain whatever falls is not soaking down. Soil moisture deficits generally currently range from around 40mm to 85mm, with the driest conditions across the south and east.

Over the coming week, with some rain in the forecast, values will drop a little, but not very significantly.

Low rainfall in July

 

We knew it was dry. But July ended up with only 75.2 mm of rain compared with a LTA of 111.6 mm and 130 mm last year. It was comparable to what we had in 2024 (80.8 mm). The temperature in July was also considerably warmer at 16.8C compared with 15.5 LTA. Mean soil temperature at 18.2 was also the warmest it has been in the last four years. I still cannot access the Met Éireann data from my laptop, so I'll just provide the link here. 

The end of July

 

Alex and I have been pruning the vines which are growing incredibly vigorously. We can't keep up. As soon as we are done with a row, we have to start again. Both the Rondo and Solaris are growing like wild this year, but it looks like the Rondo will have a higher yield. Even the baby plants have a couple of bunches each. Nothing turning red yet, contrary to the winegrowers group. 

What's particularly interesting is the Pinot Noir this year. It's got our first real harvest developing. Not much on the Chardonnay. I would love to have ripe Pinot Noir to show. 

It's August bank holiday weekend, and Westport is a zoo. We're going to head over to Newport tomorrow for BBQ at Newport House and to partake of the Granuiale Festival. Three days of music and street stuff -- one day will be enough. 

Pinot Noir grapes

More Pinot Noir

Rondo on the 11 yo vines

Solaris

More Pinot

Baby Rondo

Third day of rain. Up Mayo!

 

What a match on Sunday. After 75 years of drought, the team from Mayo brought Sam home. It was an exciting match against Kerry, who had won 39 times before; Mayo came from behind to win 1-20 to 1-17. The stadium went wild; people were shedding tears. Nobody left; even the Kerry crowd stayed until well into the night. After 75 years, Mayo are the 2026 All-Ireland Football Champions. 

With 20 million views, Gaelic football has gone viral, and it was not just the diaspora watching. Joe Biden and Mark Carney issued messages of congratulations, as did celebrities around the world, and not just those with connections to Mayo. Christiane Amanpour covered it on CNN. People came from all over Ireland to cheer the lads home to Castlebar, where they play at McHale Park. The celebrations took to the streets of Castlebar and Westport, and the kudos were documented at Breaffy House Hotel. 

Mayo captain Jack Coyne and the squad brought Sam Maguire to Ballyhaunis on Tuesday night.  🏆 The celebrations got underway on Main Street from 4pm, with live music by The Halez before and after the team’s arrival. 🚧 Road Closures all over. Ballina Stephenites & Belmullet GAA Club on Wednesday and Thursday; Ballaghaderreen GAA Club & Claremorris GAA Club. 

Sam will be touring the county for some time. Who cares about the rain?

So proud to call Mayo home. 

Rain and aerials

 

We had 11.3 mm of rain reported in Newport yesterday. It was a steady, gentle rain which soaked well into the ground. You could feel the relief amongst the garden dwellers, almost like a sigh off the land. It has continued to drizzle through this morning, and it appears the pattern for the next week will bring more rain to our lands. 

Google satellite imagery in Maps and Earth clearly shows the vineyard up the hill from the house. All the other structures are now visible as well. Amazing technology advances. 

Weather Station Reports from Newport Furnace

Date	Rainfall (mm)	Max Temp (°C)	Min Temp (°C)	Grass Min Temp (°C)	Mean Wind Speed (knots)	Max Gust (>= 34 knots)	Sunshine (hours)
25/07/2026	11.3	20.7	14.7	14.6	9.4

It's raining!

 

We awoke to raindrops on the windows. Alex had sprinkles coming in through the open window. It's been so long since we had any rain that it felt strange. Ghostie was running around and crying, "It's wet out there". Hallelujah, is my response! 

I am finally able to access the monthly climate data on my phone, but I cannot copy it. Newport had 143.6 mm of rain in June compared with 153.8 last year and 93.6 mm LTA. July so far has had 21.2 mm rain in Newport Furnace, but I'm sure we haven't had it here in Kilmeena. It has been weeks since we've had any rain. The lawn has not needed mowing in weeks. 

The mean temp for June was 14.7C compared with 14.9C for last year and 14.2C LTA. 

Is this the new pattern for a very wet winter and spring, with drought in the summer?  It seems likely. 

A rare Atlantic Nina meets Super El Nino

 

A rare Atlantic Niña has appeared in the Atlantic tropics, just as a powerful Super El Niño continues to build in the Pacific. These two ocean anomalies may look opposite on the map, but their atmospheric impact is pushing in the same direction, creating an atmospheric shield for the Atlantic hurricane season.

The latest ocean analysis from NOAA CRW shows the main ENSO region is already covered by strong warm El Niño anomalies of 3-4 degrees above normal. The eastern parts show a very rapid onset of strong anomalies at this time of the year. You can also see the Atlantic Niña event as a cold area.

Severe Weather Europe predicts that these conflicting weather patterns may significantly reduce the Atlantic hurricane activity this season. 

Family visit

 

The Moch family from Alexandria, Virginia have come for a visit with their two young sons. Naturally, we had to tour the vineyard and see the donkeys. They were a hit. Today, a picnic on the Bay made it a memorable stay already, and there are still 2.5 days to go. Pizza, Westport House Adventure Park, Achill Keel Beach. A whirlwind of activity and still no rain. It hasn't rained in weeks. 

They are now enjoying part 2 of their trip -- gay Paris! And we are back to work. Alex mowed the grass in the vineyard and demolished my extended sequateurs. 

Keel Beach

The Mochs at Notre Dame

Sunset around midnight on Monday

Famous visitors

 

We met Claudia and Jürgen Kirchberger in Clew Bay when they asked if they could have a package delivered to our home (Alex is a Port Officer for Trans-Ocean). We spent a delightful afternoon with them when they rode their bikes to our home, touring the vineyard while doing laundry, eating pizza and taking showers. They are totally unassuming and amazing personalities.  The package contained two motocross bike tyres, which we pondered for several days before we learned their story. 

The couple have now explored Iceland, the Shetlands and Ireland while sailing between the points of interest. They didn't actually ride the bikes in Greenland due to the risk of polar bear encounter.

June climate summery

I haven't been able to download the monthly statistics for June. I cleared the cache but still can't see the map or even the data for Athenry. But they've issued a climate report for June, so at least I can address the country's overall picture. It was the 4th-warmest June on record, although you wouldn't have known it in our region. Rainfall was above average -- it was the 11th wettest June on record. 

Thirteen stations broke (plus one equalled) their June maximum temperature records, and six of those also broke their all-time maximum temperature records. Knock Airport broke its previous June record, which had held for 29 years. All mean air temperatures across the country were above their LTA for the month. Deviations from the mean air temperature ranged from +0.5 °C (14.7 °C) at Newport, Co Mayo, to +2.3 °C at both Dublin Airport and Phoenix Park, Co Dublin. 

We are having a heat wave right now across the country. Today is very warm and sunny. Highest temperatures are to reach 23 to 29 degrees, warmest in the west and a little cooler near the east coast due to a light to moderate easterly breeze.

Tonight will be warm and dry with clear skies for most, though there will be some cloud in the south. Lowest temperatures of 13 to 19 degrees with a light to moderate east to northeast breeze.

Tomorrow will be very warm or hot with temperatures reaching 24 to 30 degrees generally. Less warm in the east and northeast in a light to moderate easterly breeze. The morning will be mostly dry and sunny. During the afternoon and evening, scattered heavy showers are likely to develop in parts of Munster and Connacht, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms.

We've had no rain for a long spell. I hope we get those showers tomorrow. 

Vines in Tipperary & Meath

 

We were in Nenagh for a wedding and had the very great pleasure of later visiting a vineyard started by Tom Starr there. Tom and Mary had visited us some months ago and now we were returning the visit. He's got a row of vines outside and two polytunnels planted with various vareties, nonw of which are Rondo or Solaris. His vines are doing spectacularly well in the polytunnels. Much like us, he is doing it as proof of concept and experimentation not for profit. Very nice man. 

It was very hot over the weekend. It hit 28C in Nenagh on Saturday and everyone was sweltering at the wedding. Today, Monday, we are to reach close to 29C in Mayo and no rain in the forecast until maybe Saturday afternoon. They are saying it could stretch through next week when our family is coming to stay with us from the USA. 

Meanwhile a Dutchman has announced a €4 investment in a Slane vineyard where he has planted 36,000 vines across 13 hectares on the 100-acre Fennor House estate along the River Boyne. They expect to be producing 90,000 bottles by 2029. 

Paulus Willem Heemskerk at Fennor Estate in Slane, Co.Meath, where the Dutchman has invested in a vineyard.

Gamay outdoors

More Chardonnay

I finished tying up and pruning the oldest five Chardonnay vines. It was a bit of a puzzle but we managed. 

I saw only one bunch of chardonnay buds. That's disappointing but the Pinot remains encouraging. 

Some of the leaves are showing a discoloration which is either red mites or a mineral deficiency. Will have to investigate next week. 

Ghostie was a big help and the donkeys came to see what I was up to. They were no worse for their ordeal with the farrier. I think they are getting used to Matthew who is a godsend.