Grape testing

I tested a bunch of grapes that had turned deep red and got a Brix reading of 14. Since the optimal sugar content for red wine is Brix 22, we have a little time left before we harvest. I will take readings every other day for the next week and daily after that. 

The white grapes seem far behind the red Rondo. The photo coming up is of Chardonnay. Brix should reach 20 if it's to be wine. Not sure what will happen. 

The next two are Solaris. They are on the younger vines. The older vines didn't do much. Weird. But it's possible veraison has begun there. I will test them next time, but there won't be much of a harvest. 

The two coming up are Pinot Noir. Some of the vines seems to be infected with something - looks like powdery mildew to me. Others look fine. There are no Albarino grapes coming. 

The roses in the garden are all looking good, so we don't have a major fungal intrusion. 

This page is really good at helping to identify problems. 

The apple harvest is underway and the donkeys are loving the periodic small apple donations. It's a good year for apples. But we've lost our pear trees to disease. It's also our first harvest of hazelnuts. I am so excited. They were on  the younger of the two trees. Go figure. 

We have loads of Rondo grapes on the 5 vines we planted early on. Better start learning how to make wine. 

Heat wave - again!

It's Monday the 15th and the heat wave has finally broken. It was hot, dry and still. We had at least 5 days (more I think) in the high 20s and on Thursday, the thermometer in my car read 30C as I drove home from Old Head and Louisburg. I had lunch at Tia by the Sea and walked the beach at Old Head. I was very glad to have air conditioning in my car. The heat broke the old record high when it topped 37.5C in Carlow. That's hot. 

Newport Furnace registered a high of 28.5C for the week on Friday. It was scorching. Everyone says now that it's climate change but Alex remembers summers like this in the '70s when he had to ferry jerry cans of water to the islands for the cattle. We've had no rain for ages and the grapevines are parched and getting burnt by the sun. 

The Rondo is already starting to turn colour. That would make it a very early veraison. We have quite a few Pinot Noir vines producing clusters so that's very interesting. Many vines have already reached their max height. We may have a taste of Chardonnay. We'll have very little Solaris, the grape we planted the most of. 

The work on the main structure of the trellis is done and now you can actually see the trellis from the road. Alex still has to put the wires in, but that he can do over the winter. No rush to do it now as we will just be pruning the vines all back to the main trunk. It really does look like a vineyard. 

Cahill did a lovely job and even levelled out a seating area in the top corner. It will be excellent for wine tastings someday if we make it that far. 

Ghostie christening the picnic spot

Telephone poles and steel cross beams are in

Land above cleared and leveled for safety

Now we need the support wires

It's looking like a vineyard

Looking toward the picnic spot

Lovely views

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir suffering in heat

Rondo starting veraison

Rondo turning red

Poles are in

It looks like we have planted a field full of telephone poles, which will serve as the uprights in our trellis arrangement for the vineyard. The vines are doing well and it is encouraging that we have not only Rondo but also a few Chardonnay and Pinot Noir clusters. The Pinot Noir is surprising as this is only their third season. The Albarino aren't even considering it yet. And the Solaris is seriously disappointing again. 

I am concerned about this week's heat wave and lack of rain. An entire week of near 25C temperatures and no rain. That could put a serious damper on grape development. Although the heat might help and there is water below the surface as we saw in the holes that were dug. Fingers crossed. 

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir 

Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Rondo

Rondo

Solaris

Erecting telephone pole uprights

What the entire vineyard will look like eventually. 

Progress toward trellises

 

Poles waiting to go in. 

Holes are dug, the top of the field is levelled, the gorse has been pushed back, and the poles are ready to go in. Two of the holes are filling with water. Small wonder after the heavy rain we had several days ago. But they are not where I expected them. I expected them mid-field in the area where we lost several Solaris and Chardonnay vines, we thought due to water pooling. Perhaps we have hit a spring?

Anyway, it's really exciting to have the wild concept vineyard turn into the real deal. 

Spacing of holes.

Levelling the slope for safety.

Chardonnay and Solaris vines looking righteous!

It's quite the view over our lttle vineyard.

Poles all laid out for Ghostie to inspect. 

Very neatly drilled. 

Inspector Ghost.

Water in the hole!

Tensioner pole for the first section. 

Our (Ghost's) new millstone table.