Rondo Harvest and Pinot Noir Veraison

Today we harvested the Rondo. We have very little yield. The young plants had lovely bunches that seemed unaffected by Downy Mildew. However, any that were not bagged were eaten. Hares, foxes, and pine martens would have found them very tasty. Some that were eaten had bags lying on the ground next to them. Those cheeky buggers may have removed the bags to get at the tasty morsels. There weren't many, but they were lovely. 

The Rondo from the older vines were severely affected by the mildew, so our take was barely one bushel. Curiously, the old Rondo grapes taste very different from the new Rondo grapes. It broke my heart to see how many we lost. The berries that did survive are bigger than any we've had to date. We destemmed and crushed and got about 4 litres of must. Very little. It measured Brix 20 and so had enough sugar to get to a high enough ABV. 

We added the Brown yeast with nutrient and enzymes. Then Alex had a bright idea. We had 11 bottles   (750 ml) of wine from a few years ago (2021?  we didn't label it 😳😬) that is relatively undrinkable as it is too sweet. We tasted it, and it was highly reminiscent of port -- not bad, just sweet. He suggested we add those bottles to this year's must to increase the volume and ferment together. The wine tested at a Brix of 14. It was from a year that we added a sugar solution because we had very little must. I have a feeling it was the same year we thought the grapes had dried into raisins with the drought. But now we know it wasn't drought. It was mildew. So it was a similar year to this one. Alex measured the alcohol content; it's a respectable 12.4%.

As the situation couldn't be much worse than it already was, if we had had a stuck fermentation back then, we could restart it with this batch. Let's see what happens. 

And then we noticed another major development in the vineyard. Veraison has started in the Pinot Noir. 😀 We did not notice it yesterday, and we had both looked for it. 

Of course, in cool climates, Pinot Noir often requires 55 to 65 days for proper flavour development for still wine. Grapes are picked much earlier for sparkling wines, typically 42 to 50 days after veraison at a lower sugar level (18 to 20 Brix). If the weather continues as it has been, we could make it to harvest. I'll have to start spraying and keep my fingers crossed. 

A new rapid attribution study published today shows that increased temperatures and evaporation levels directly linked to climate change will make for drier farming and land conditions in Ireland. 

Viticulture returns to Poland

 

Bartek Gruszka, President of the Tłocznia Foundation, 
showcasing how an underground cellar was restored in Zielona Góra.

(Image credit: Sylvia Wu)

A story in Decanter magazine caught my attention. Viticulture in Poland dates back more than 1000 years. Still, since the 16th century, winemaking had been declining due to a cooling climate, social changes, wars and the Soviet era, which virtually wiped it out. 

The modern revival of Polish wine began in the 1980s, helped by a warming climate and by more wine-friendly legislation introduced in 2008. From three legally registered producers in 2009, the industry has grown to more than 700 registered wine growers and producers in Poland today. 

The German-bred PiWi grape Solaris is by far the most planted wine grape in Poland. Riesling is a more recent addition to the white plantings. Pinot Noir has recently become the most widely planted red wine grape in Poland. It is followed by the PiWi grapes Regent, Cabernet Cortis and Rondo. As part of the movement, old abandoned wine cellars are being restored and resurrected throughout Poland. 

It will be interesting to see if Ireland's winemaking enjoys a similar growth pattern. In the meantime, I am eager to try some Polish wines. The Polish store in Castlebar has recently added a liquor license, but I didn't see any Polish wines. I'll have to look harder next time. 

Getting there

Measuring Brix today yielded 16, 18, 19, and 20. Rondo is near ready to pick. Tomorrow is a busy day and rainy, so we'll wait till Wednesday. 

Rondo still not ready

 

The berries have grown bigger with the rain we've had over the past few days. But the Brix is still too low for harvest: 17, 15, 15, 19. 

Perfect day for making wine

 

A rainy and blustery day is perfect for making wine. We processed the 4 bushels of Solaris grapes through the destemmer/crusher first, which is always a messy job. We then pressed the grapes (about 1.5 bushels) in the hydropress. It was a murky green coloured must, and we wondered how it would ever turn into that lovely golden nectar. 

Meanwhile, the yeast with nutrient and enzymes was started in boiled water. We added the yeast to the must and poured it into the fermentation tank. We had about 7-8 litres of must, not much, but we are hopeful that the wine will be a match for last year's vintage. 

Then it was time to clean up. What a mess. But at least it's no longer in the kitchen. 

Next harvest -- Rondo. Probably tomorrow or Sunday, depending on the weather. 

Harvest Day: Solaris

 

A rare near-perfect bunch. 

The Brix had surpassed 20, so it was time to pick. The weather was going to be decent on Thursday, with winds gusting to 35 knots, but several models showed no rain while others showed a bit of drizzle. We started by sterilising the winery equipment and washing the floor before setting out for the vineyard.

We had some drizzle, some sunshine, and a whole lot of cool wind, so we managed to harvest it all by 5 pm. Despite the fact that we collected four bushels of grapes, we should have had ten times that. But a combination of factors reduced our yield manyfold. Black rot, mildew, and possibly failure to set fruit all contributed to a dismal take. Had we been successful, we might have had 40 bushels. 

The amount of fruit in bags was equivalent to the amount not bagged that should have been eaten but wasn't. So we are convinced the kites are working and we don't need to bag anymore. Halleluja! The bagging was boring chore. The CDs probably help as well. 

Tomorrow the weather is to be abysmal. Heavy rain means a day of winemaking. You know, if growing grapes and making wine was easy, we'd all be doing it. Oh right. We are, and it's not. 

A common finding

Another perfect one -- take a picture!

Kite soaring over Alex

Almost 4 bushels

Pinot Noir filling out but not ripening

Convenient plastic buckets

Waiting for tomorrow

Time to harvest Solaris

 

I measured the Brix today and had readings of 18 to 22 on the Solaris. The Rondo came in at 15-18 so we can split the harvest. The weather tomorrow should be okay, very windy and gusting up to 35+ knots, but relatively dry depending on the model you look at. Friday is going to be very wet by all the models, so that won't do. 

Rondo

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.

Yesterday, the tech guys developing AI sent out a warning about the danger of AI infecting the internet and destroying humanity. As we walked with our friends in the vineyard, they decided we'd be in great shape if that happened. Without the internet, we'd still have wine and food to forage. 

 

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.