The weather has become stable and we had a cold snap, so it was time to start pruning. We need to finish by mid-January. I started with the easy vines - the 2 yo Pinot Noir and the 3 yo Chardonnay. I finished those two before it started to rain again.
Alex tackled the 6 yo Rondo and Solaris vines, which required much more severe pruning. He's doing a nice job, cutting back to a point that will become more productive for us next year.
Ghost naturally had to help and Mini supervised from a distance.
It will take a few days to finish the task, but I am not concerned about getting it done before January 22.
One of my Christmas presents from Alex was a tool for tying up vines. It took a bit of practice to get it to work. Another present was a wildlife camera which I have wanted for some time. On this first night of using it, I managed to snag great photos of a fox. Foxy has been spotted in day time before. Tonight, I'm hoping to catch sight of a pine marten. Then I will move the camera to the vineyard to see if we can spot the badger and see what else lurks in the darkness.
I gave Alex a gift of red Viking Irish wine made by David Dennison in Waterford. His first vintage is a blend of Rondo, Regent and Pinot Noir. Very encouraging.
It was a somewhat festive Christmas despite the rampant spread of the Omicron variant of Covid. Everyone we know was either sick or a close contact of a confirmed case. Knock on wood, we've managed to escape so far. With our booster shot delivered two weeks ago, we should be okay through New Year's Day at least.
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