Construction of polytunnel has begun

 

Let the levelling begin! A wonderful contractor has sent his son to level our field. If you remember the photos from my previous post, there's a gentle slope which just won't do for a 12-metre polytunnel. So the digger went to work and in short time had done an exceptional job moving a bit of earth from one side to the other and tamping it down well. Ghost had to be in the middle of it; she made friends with Cathal who was greatly amused by her antics, especially her speciality of throwing rocks up into the air and catching them on the way down. 

Tomorrow, the cement arrives to secure the posts into the earth so the thing doesn't fly away. The holes are precisely dug. When the cement sets, we can start assembly. I am psyched. 

The polytunnel will have raised beds on one side and will house my peach tree, Haas avocado, and citrus tree. We will have a table and chairs for inclement weather relaxation.  The rest will house our winemaking equipment and mowing/harvesting stuff as well as apple press. Maybe we'll even manage to get our garage back. We'll see. 

Also my herons have arrived as bird deterrents for the orchard and vineyard. They are actually quite beautiful in verdigris patina. Right now adorning the pond as there is no fruit to protect yet but there are tadpoles in the pond so we'll leave the lawn ornaments protecting the froglets. 

Proof of terroir

Screen capture of Bodega Catena Zapata website. 

A study from the Catena Institute of Wine in Argentina finds chemical evidence that the soils in which a vine grows leave an indelible stamp on the wine. A new study*, published in Nature's Scientific Reports journal in February and led by winemaker Roy Urvieta, using techniques Fernando Buscema - the Bodega Catena Zapata winemaker and director of the Catena Institute of Wine - developed, suggests that it is possible to identify the vineyard from which a wine comes based on the wine’s chemical composition. He identified 27 volatile and phenolic compounds to measure and focused on Malbec. 

Of the 23 vineyard sites studied in the Mendoza region, 11 could be identified with 100% accuracy, while the remaining 12 were identified with up to 83% certainty. In all, 201 wines from three recent vintages were analyzed. The researchers hope that understanding Argentina’s soils and how vines incorporate elements will help winemakers elevate the quality of Malbec and influence its reputation. It will help vintners better understand what differentiates their wines and perhaps contribute to the understanding of how a maturing vineyard absorbs changes in terroir. In other words, if terroir can be quantified, then perhaps it can also be improved or exploited. Imposters could easily be exposed as well. 

On April 1, 2020, Catena Zapata was named Drinks International World's Most Admired Wine Brand 2020. I've admired them since I read Vineyard at the End of the World and tasted their extraordinary wines. Congratulations Nicolás Catena Zapata and daughter Laura and all the people who make Bodega Catena Zapata what it is. 

Wine Spectator explores the ramifications.  

*Urvieta, R., Jones, G., Buscema, F. et al. Terroir and vintage discrimination of Malbec wines based on phenolic composition across multiple sites in Mendoza, Argentina. Sci Rep 11, 2863 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82306-0

Drought in California, again!

The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows the entire Bay Area in extreme drought conditions as of May 4, 2021.

U.S. Drought Monitor

The San Francisco Bay area has gone from severe to extreme drought in just two weeks. 

Wells are drying up in the San Joachin Valley because of less snow in the Sierra Nevada. 

Sonoma County supervisors declared a drought emergency and vineyards in the Alexander Valley are scaling back crop production. 

North Coast wineries are preparing for another wildfire season. 

My heart bleeds for the people who worked so hard to establish such a wonderful legacy of creating the nectar of the gods. But what's the solution?  It will only continue to get worse most likely until California suffers the ultimate disaster. And yet people continue to plant more crops and expand into new territories whether it makes sense or not. And their places burn yet they rebuild. I suppose if the insurance pays, they have to. 

Reservoirs are running low and there are no conservation measures in place. And it's only May. I fear what the summer will bring. 

April showers?

Looking at the Met Eireann stats for April, the monthly total rainfall was less than half of the mean but about twice what we had last year, the temperature was 3 degrees lower than the mean, and the soil temperature was average. How that is explained, I do not know. How this correlates with the early bud burst compared to last year, I do not know either. 

All means are for the period 1981-2010.

Celebrity vintners

Kurt Russel's GoGi Wines

I suppose it shouldn't be surprising that lots of stars own vineyards and make pretty good wines. What is surprising is that one of the best wines from California is from a vineyard owned by Bozz Scaggs. The list of owners is long and not always distinguished. 

My research started with an article about Kurt Russell's Pinot Noir project. He's mastering old world techniques to produce wines the natural way they were made way back when. He wanted a vineyard that was organically and biodynamically farmed and sustainable in practice. 

He started out wanting to reproduce burgundies and still considers the Pinot Noir his main project. But his Goldie Chardonnay has scored 91 and 92 points from Wine Spectator in 2017 and 2018 respectively and sells for $50 a bottle. His Pinot Noir has scored 92 points in 2016 and 2017 from Wine Enthusiast and sells for $75 a bottle.

Meanwhile, Frances Ford Coppola was given Wine Enthusiast's 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. Not bad for the creator of the Godfather and Apocalypse Now. The six-time Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter and entrepreneur was honoured for industry innovation, creativity, quality product and more than 40 years in winemaking. It seems innate talent knows no bounds. 

Polytunnel materials have arrived!

Field which is the site for the polytunnel

 

Some assembly required! 

We decided to build a polytunnel because it doesn't require permission, it is reasonably priced, and it can be a relatively large working space. The field requires a bit of levelling out, so construction cannot begin until the digger frees up. It will be above the garage, which will shield it from the winds to a degree. Alex's has already saved all the trees that self-seeded in that field and moved them into a hedge that will protect the structure from the west. 

Once it's in place, we can buy a quad and mower, and keep it inside the polytunnel, which Alex says is on the large side. We can move all the winemaking equipment into the polytunnel. We can also store the apple press there. Storage is the one thing that's been in short supply. 

I'm hoping to also grow a few things in it that require warmth, height, and protection from the elements, namely a peach tree, an avocado tree and a citrus tree. I'll have to sneak them in. Shhhh, don't tell Alex. 

I don't think it came with instructions.

Road to the gate of donkey field,
adjacent to vineyard, provides access.

Oversized doors so equipment can be driven in. 

Companion Planting With Grapes

Photo by Amy Grant, Gardening Know How

I've been a proponent of the Gaia garden for a long time although I've only put it into practice recently and not on a large scale. But I really do want to learn more about it. So now that the first 10 vines are mature, it's time to start thinking about companion crops -- plants that in close proximity will repel pests and disease, nourish soil, or provide shelter to beneficial insects. Companion plants may act as natural trellises, suppress weeds, or help retain moisture. 

A number of plants grow well with grapevines. I want to choose companions for grapes that have similar growing requirements in Ireland. That is, grapes need full sun with moderately warm temperatures, consistent water, and well-draining soil, so their companion plants should like those conditions, too. An example of incompatible plants is hops. If you're growing wine grapes they should be in harsh soil so all the energy goes into the grapes and not the vines and leaves. Hops prefer a richer soil and put a lot of energy into vine growth and root development. Grapes are generally grown horizontal or parallel to the ground and hops tend to want to grow vertical. Also hops want lots of water and grapes don't want too much water.

Plants that grow well with grapevines are those that lend a beneficial quality to growing grapes. The question is what to plant around grapes? Garlic is good for deterring pests but I certainly don't want to introduce garlicy flavours to the terroir. I want to get the healthiest vines that produce the most fruit, and have a pleasant effect on the grapes. 

Companion planting (mustard) at Tamburlaine – photo by The Wine Idealist

What To Plant Around Grapes 

Companion planting is an age-old art of planting different plants in close proximity to each other to benefit one or both. There may be mutual benefits or one plant may profit more. 

Excellent companions for grapes include Hyssop, Oregano, Basil, Beans, Blackberries, Clover, Geraniums, Calendula and Peas. We have the blackberries covered as they are part of the hedge around the vineyard. Blackberries provide shelter for beneficial parasitic wasps, which also kill leafhopper eggs. Basil doesn't grow outside in Ireland. I would think rapeseed would work and it looks so beautiful adding vibrant colour to the fields.

In the case of hyssop, an evergreen herb, bees love the flowers while the rest of the plant deters pests and improves the grape’s flavour. It has been used in traditional medicine as an antiseptic, cough reliever, and expectorant. It is a member of the mint family so I wonder if it has the tendency to spread like wildfire. Geraniums and Calendula also repel pests, such as leafhoppers.  

Clover increases soil fertility. It is what the Spaniards in Galicia were experimenting with. It is an excellent ground cover, green manure crop, and nitrogen fixer. Legumes act in much the same way and can give you a second vertical crop yield. By planting them once the grapevines are established, the beans can trellis up through them. 

Other plants make good companions for grapevines due to their pest repellant qualities. These include aromatic plants such as Garlic, Chives, Rosemary, Tansy, and Mint. I have been planting the aromatics in the orchard for several years. 

Grapes don’t get along just with herbs and flowers. They are said to do well planted under elm or mulberry trees. 

Companion planting (clover) Paco & Lola vineyards, Galicia Spain.
Photo by Daria Blackwell

What to avoid planting near grapes

Just as people don’t always get along, grapes have a few pet peeves as well. Grapes should never be planted near cabbage or radishes. Besides who would want to risk cabbage flavoured wine?

What the best method of companion planting?

You see two different methods in the photos above. One puts the plants among the rows of vines the other puts the plantings between the rows. I believe both can be beneficial. Plants that keep insects aways and deliver nutrients to the soil can be placed close to the vines. Plants that enrich the soil overall or provide cash crops can be planted between the rows. Both can be done at the same time, or one can be done at a time or even alternated seasonally. It's not rocket science but it will take some experimentation. 

What about fertiliser?

Yara, the fertiliser company, recommends all kinds of fertiliser for grapes but my feeling is that grapes don't like very fertile soil so why augment it? Doesn't that alter the terroir? Why not keep it natural, organic and biodynamic? Mulching with wood chips from tree trimmings apparently adds just the right amount of nitrogen to the soil, and is very beneficial to the plants.

We tried adding some seaweed around the oldest vines for a traditional Irish fertilisation approach. We have plenty of the stuff for free, it's natural and organic and gives us another claim to fame. We'll see how it works. 

Photo in Daria's Vineyard taken in the Autumn of 2020 by Daria Blackwell. 
Note the seaweed applied to the base of vines.