Tuesday, 2 August 2022

July weather


So July ended with the same rainfall as last year but 1.6 degrees cooler. Note that August 1, in one day, we had almost as much rain as we had the entire month of July. That's caused the grapes to swell rather quickly and they are noticeably bigger today than on Saturday. 


Meanwhile, Cathal Keane has arrived to begin work on the construction of the trellis structure that will support the remaining vines as they mature. Today, he is digging the holes for the uprights -- telephone poles discarded as they are replaced in our area. Tomorrow, they begin cementing in the poles in the holes. It's a big job. 




Monthly values for NEWPORT up to 01-aug-2022

Total rainfall in millimetres for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
202298.8260.467.884.0107.0148.059.247.5872.7
2021225.6147.6141.145.6113.564.159.7155.6137.0265.7183.3186.61725.4
2020139.5342.8178.225.554.7164.5187.9137.9153.4228.0206.6232.72051.7
2019146.8115.0228.5100.7112.576.682.7228.9175.5160.7148.1220.61796.6
LTA166.7126.5141.296.894.789.7100.9132.5131.5176.0170.4180.21607.1

Mean temperature in degrees Celsius for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
20227.27.18.09.912.613.815.915.010.7
20215.06.77.99.010.413.317.516.415.211.99.37.610.9
20207.26.06.611.012.813.814.416.013.810.59.16.110.6
20196.98.47.910.211.713.116.315.513.710.37.17.110.7
LTA6.16.17.39.011.513.815.415.413.510.88.36.510.3

Mean 10cm soil temperature for NEWPORT at 0900 UTC

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
20226.26.26.39.313.214.816.8n/a10.4
20213.65.06.88.210.914.317.916.315.211.38.66.610.4
20205.74.75.49.713.014.814.916.313.79.58.05.110.1
20196.16.16.88.912.213.816.715.713.59.46.25.610.1
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Global Solar Radiation in Joules/cm2 for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
20226311107563339940555515694724648439393238668
2021662013347203704569455690454884945540490224131635872353780326940
2020626310808245454619258476435374021540555255581848763195209326164
2019537810595213063764849884496074539537116264601740681674766313728
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Potential Evapotranspiration (mm) for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
202213.723.047.260.677.776.080.41.2379.8
20217.622.930.762.976.370.787.867.538.325.114.114.6518.5
202017.621.935.070.291.672.966.266.442.728.113.610.4536.6
201913.421.535.460.479.078.279.562.942.829.214.814.3531.4
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Evaporation (mm) for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAnnual
202217.932.466.586.8114.5109.2111.11.6540.0
202110.932.145.489.9111.2102.0117.293.552.134.718.619.1726.7
202022.431.951.898.9130.8104.894.392.759.138.818.113.6757.2
201917.729.552.087.3111.6112.8109.688.859.939.618.917.9745.6
LTAn/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a

Degree Days Below 15.5 Degree Celsius for NEWPORT

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2022256234235171976330N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
2021325247236200167792023401141872451883
2020257276275143111735531711561932911935
2019266200235165130892736671642512621892

Notes on the Data

Evaporation and PE data are calculated using Penman/Monteith formulae.
The ‘LTA’ (referred to within a table) is average for the climatological long-term-average (LTA) reference period 1981-2010.
Data updated daily at Mid-day.

Cumulative Rainfall Graphs

Temperature Departures from LTA

Sunday, 31 July 2022

All done! For now.

Albarino, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Solaris in that order


This morning I finished tying up the last few vines. It's looking very civilised and tidy now. Actually looks like a proper vineyard. I will continue to prune back and remove some leaves to help the grapes mature. 

Once again, there was rain in the forecast that did not materialise. At least we got some yesterday. 

I was using a device that sometimes works to tie up the vines. But I do not like it. It puts plastic into the environment, wastes a great deal of that plastic and makes it take a lot longer to complete a job. The unit pulls out a swathe of plastic tape, you slide it over the vine and wire, then clamp down and it staples and cuts the plastic tape -- sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't staple, sometimes it doesn't cut, and sometimes it gets stuck inside the tool. Very frustrating. And the tool often gets stuck on the vine if it's thicker. I wasted so much tape that I had to order more. 




What I also ordered were all kinds of things for securing viney growth, like stretch mesh tape, special cable ties and a new supposedly much-improved device. We'll see. My past use of nylon stocking strips was not as effective in the vineyard because they decompose every year, and I need them to last for several years until the vines are strong enough to stand on their own. 

Anyway, happy last day of July. I must say, the weather was much improved over June. I heard today that they are beginning to harvest Chardonnay grapes in Portugal, the earliest they've ever matured by far. The heat waves on the Continent have been brutal.