Met Éireann has reported that Ireland is experiencing a marine heatwave similar to that of June 2024. As of mid-May, temperatures at several IMDBON buoys were already more than 1°C above the monthly average. With a week remaining in the month, the final monthly averages will likely be even higher.
Given that we are on Clew Bay, I wonder what effect the higher ocean temperature will have on our vines. They are looking exceptionally good this year. It was drizzly and chilly this morning, but cleared up beautifully after lunch. I spent the afternoon pruning vines and training them onto the trellises. It got so warm I stripped down to T-shirt.
I also cleared growth from around the roses and tied them up as they are huge this year. The Tequila Sunrise and the yellow ones are already taller than me, and with the rain and sun, they have started blooming prolifically. Everything is growing exponentially.
Interestingly, I look at vines so differently now after taking part in the pruning workshops. Vines are so extraordinarily symmetrical and methodical. A cane shoots out and forms a leaf. Shortly after, it forms an inflorescence, then a simple tendril, then either a tiny inflorescence or a tendril with some flower buds on it, then another tendril that is very vigorous with multiple limbs, then more growth with leaves in between. Some form two inflorescences and so two bunches of grapes. The tendril with grapes or tiny bunch is younger than the other bunches. It's an insurance policy and will develop later, just in case something goes drastically wrong. Because the vines expend a lot of energy on the tendrils and tiny bunches, we prune them out at this time. That helps the primary bunches of grapes to develop more vigorously, or that's the theory.
So that was my job today. I pruned what I could reach of the branches in advanced stages. I pushed them up through the wires to rest on top of the trellis. I picked off any shoots forming along the woody upright trunk. I pulled grass and weeds from around the vines.
It was a very serene Zen experience to be in the vineyard performing these tasks today. I loved it. Ghost and Mini kept me company, sleeping in the tall grass in the shade between the vines, invisible to the world. It was so beautiful out and the perfect temperature. Yet all around, I could see we had our microclimate, and it was raining over Westport and Newport. Clare Island parted the clouds for us again.
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| Primary inflorescence |
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| Secondary inflorescence |
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| Tiny backup inflorescence |
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| Tendril with inflorescence |
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| Tertiary tendril |
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| Tendril and leaf bud, which get clipped off |
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| Sky over us |
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| Sky over Westport |
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