Ask Claude?

 

I asked Anthropic's Claude,

"What are the best varieties of grapes to plant now in Ireland for wine production in ten years' time?"

This how Claude responded:

For wine production in Ireland over the next decade, you'll want to focus on cold-hardy, early-ripening varieties that can handle the cool, damp climate while still producing quality fruit. Here are the best options:

Top Recommendations

Solaris — The most widely planted wine grape in Ireland. German-bred hybrid that ripens early, resists disease well, and produces aromatic white wines with good acidity. Ideal for Irish conditions.

Rondo — A reliable red variety that's cold-hardy and disease-resistant. Produces deep-coloured wines, though often blended due to its tannic nature.

Regent — Another solid red option with good mildew resistance. Produces softer, more approachable reds than Rondo.

Seyval Blanc — French-American hybrid that's well-established in cool-climate viticulture. Makes crisp, citrusy whites and handles Irish weather well.

Madeleine Angevine — Early-ripening white that performs well in marginal climates. Light, aromatic wines.

Bacchus — If you have a warmer, sheltered site (south-facing slope, good drainage), this aromatic white can work. More demanding than Solaris but produces excellent quality.

Practical Considerations

Site selection matters enormously — south-facing slopes with good drainage are essential. Wet feet kill vines faster than cold. 

thegardenshop.ie

Climate change is shifting possibilities — warmer temperatures are expanding what's viable in Ireland. Some growers are experimenting with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the best sites. 

irishtimes.com

Disease resistance should be a priority given Ireland's humidity — hybrids bred for resistance (Solaris, Rondo, Regent) will save you significant headaches compared to traditional vinifera varieties.

For a ten-year horizon, I'd plant primarily Solaris for whites and Rondo or Regent for reds, with perhaps a small experimental block of Pinot Noir if your site is exceptional.

Happy St Daria's Day (by the old Julian calendar). 

2025 UK Wine Harvest Report

 

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published its annual wine production report, revealing an exceptional year for English and Welsh wine, with total production rising by 55% compared to 2024.

The data show that 124,377 hectolitres of wine — equivalent to more than 16.5 million bottles — were produced across England and Wales in 2025, reflecting both the outstanding growing conditions throughout the year and the continued growth of the UK's wine industry. 

Particularly remarkable growth was seen in white wine, with volumes increasing by more than 131% on the previous year, underlining the strength of the 2025 vintage. 

The number of vineyards registered with FSA also grew, reaching 1,158 — a 4.3% increase on the previous year — with more than 10,000 people now employed across the sector.  

The UK wine industry, now valued at approximately £14 billion, is a significant contributor to the UK economy. 

The 2025 harvest has been widely celebrated by producers across England and Wales, with favourable weather conditions throughout the growing season delivering excellent fruit quality and yields not seen for years. 

Although Ireland does not report any figures yet, we, too, had a good harvest that resulted in a truly high-end white wine vintage. The red remains to be tasted. 

Correcting a nose of acetone

Acetobacter

Translations for „Acetobacter“

Name (lat. acetum = vinegar; bacterium = rods) for a genus of acetic acid bacteria with several species. Acetobacter can oxidise alcohol (ethanol) to acetic acid under the influence of oxygen. They are viable even at high acidity levels in wine. As they can only exist in the presence of oxygen - i.e. not in an anaerobic environment (without oxygen) - they are considered to be obligate aerobes. Ideal conditions for their proliferation are warm temperatures between 30 and 40 °Celsius, high pH values (low acidity) and an aerobic environment. Acetobacter are used industrially for the production of acetic acid and vinegar.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016816050700685X 

 

AI Overview

Correcting high levels of ethyl acetate (which smells like nail polish remover, glue, or varnish) in wine is difficult, as it is an ester formed from acetic acid (vinegar) and ethanol. Once this fault is present, the options for remediation are limited and mostly focus on blending or advanced filtration

. 

Here are the methods to treat and manage ethyl acetate in wine, ordered by effectiveness:

1. Curative Treatments (Post-Fermentation)

• Reverse Osmosis (RO) / Nanofiltration: This is the most effective commercial method to remove high volatile acidity (VA) and associated ethyl acetate. The wine is passed through a filter that separates the wine into water/ethanol and components like ethyl acetate, which are then treated or removed.
• Blending: If the ethyl acetate is just above the sensory threshold, blending the affected wine with a clean, low-VA wine can dilute it to acceptable levels.
  • Warning: Before blending, it is highly recommended to sterile filter the contaminated wine (using 0.45-micron filtration) to prevent the bacteria from spreading to the good wine.
• Refermentation (for Low-Level Contamination): A slight, active fermentation can sometimes help mask or reduce small amounts of ethyl acetate. This can be done by blending the affected wine with 5-6% fresh juice/must. 

2. Preventive Treatments (During & After Fermentation)

• Increase SO2 Levels: Adding sulfur dioxide (SO2) immediately, or ensuring it is above 30 mg/L free SO2, inhibits Acetobacter and other spoilage bacteria that produce the acetic acid that later converts to ethyl acetate.
• Strict Oxygen Management: Acetobacter needs oxygen to thrive. Keep tanks and barrels filled to the top (properly topped up) to eliminate headspace where bacteria grow.
• Sanitization: Ensure all winery equipment, particularly barrels that have housed high-VA wines, are heavily cleaned and sanitized, as Acetobacter can live on equipment.
• Cold Stabilization: Keeping the wine cold (around 55°F / 13°C) during aging helps slow down the chemical processes that form esterification. 

Summary of Options

Intensity	Treatment Method
High	Reverse Osmosis (Specialized equipment needed)
Medium	Sterile Filter + Blending with sound wine
Low	Refermentation (5-6% new juice)

Note: In cases of severe contamination, such as a strong, undrinkable nail-polish smell, the wine is likely irreparable and should be discarded to prevent contamination of other barrels. 

Kiwi bud break

 

Kiwileaves are so beautiful, and even more so are the fresh new baby leaves at bud break. Today is a grey cool day, but seeing the new kiwi leaves provided a bright spot. 

Bud break!

 We have bud break. Rondo only. Even the one-year-old plants. Last year, it was 2 April. In 2024, it was 28 March. In 2023, it was 10 April.

The Solaris are still tight, as are the Chardonnay. The Pinot Noir buds are still tiny and not developed.  

Donkeys wormed

 

The donkeys got one of their favourite treats yesterday: jam sandwiches with ivermectin. It was a beautiful day, finally, unlike today which is wet and miserable. Seems everything is a couple of weeks early this year. Just waiting for bud burst. 

Wine aroma and flavour wheels

Wine aroma and flavour wheels can be helpful in identifying the smells and tastes that appear in varios wines for various reasons. Our Rondo from two years ago had the distinct smell of acetone, which stems from bacterial contamination. Our Solaris this past summer produced a wine with depth and complexity that was difficult to pinpoint. In both cases, the wheels may help us describe each vintage to its full advantage. 

I find the UC Davis chart hard to read. 

There are any number of sources of the wheel, each with slightly different descriptions. Of course, it can be a chart and not a wheel. 

I like this one. It's easy to read.