California grape harvest delayed

 

Whereas veraison has started early here, in California they are expecting it to be up to three weeks later than usual. The growing season is still running 3-4 weeks behind in many areas of the state, particularly on the Coast. Veraison was not apparent anywhere by the first week of July, which is expected. 

Because of delayed harvests, combined with unseasonably cool spring, heat spikes, and seasonal rains, few experts have been brave enough to predict this year’s anticipated results. It's gotta be tough to staff up with seasonal labour when the results are unpredictable. 

A slow start has both negative and positive connotations. Great vintages tend to come in long cool seasons. The longer, milder season helps to really develop the terroir they say.  They are saying that this year's season approximates what Napa was like before climate change really kicked in. The finale is almost as important as the entire season and so a heat spike would help with ripening. We'll see.

We've got lots of evidence of Autumn arriving early this year. Leaves are turning colour already. The trees are covered in berries. I hope that doesn't mean our harvest will come early as we are not prepared. 

European State of the Climate 2022

A new report published today by The #Copernicus Climate Change Service of ECMWF has shown that 2022 was the fifth warmest on record, with the last 8 years the warmest on record overall. Europe is warming faster than the earth overall, at 2.2C warmer surface air temperature than 1850-1900 compared with 1.2C for the earth and 3C for the Antarctic. Sea Surface Temperature has also increased faster in European waters than overall. 

This is scary stuff. Watching Lahaina in Maui burn to the ground yesterday was terrifying. Those poor people. It was such a beautiful place when I visited in the 1980s. Now, there is nothing left. It was human-induced and fanned by winds from a Cat 4 hurricane far away in the Pacific. Sad day for the people of Maui. 

Total devastation: https://twitter.com/i/status/1689515411912491008 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1689384898958917633 

And our CO2 emissions continue to increase. 

The shed

We're slowly putting order to the shed, moving equipment in, cleaning up, and building stuff. The beekeeping paraphernalia is in, and some of the small watercraft are in. Every day we do a little bit.

The weather was pretty yucky this morning: warm, humid and drizzly. This afternoon, it became stunning. Sunshine, hot. Back to sandals. 

Alex finished the fencing around the shed and called the donkeys down, who are now very happily chomping on the thick, luscious grass. 

The clouds hanging low over the Holy Mountain made for a gorgeous backdrop. On days like this, I am in awe. 

Veraison progressing quickly

Today, I worked in the vineyard all afternoon cutting away leaves to let the sun reach the grape clusters. I was horrified to see how quickly veraison is progressing. As I mentioned before, last year we noticed it on the 24th of August. It's way too soon. I'm not sure what's going on. 

It has started becoming noticeably darker in the evenings now, so perhaps rapid onset of veraison is not a bad sign. It was the warmest July on record globally, so perhaps our hunch is paying off. I'm not sure if I should be happy about that, but I'll take any good news at this stage, what with glaciers melting, fires raging, and storms intensifying. 

Rondo

Solaris

Pinot Noir leaves turning red

Happy seat in the vineyard

Expansive views

View through the chestnut and hedgerow

Fencing to let the donkeys into the field

Ghostie supervising

Ghost loves the shed

Ghost having a grand time

My birthday present from Alex in the polytunnel

We adopted Meike's garden visitors

I never get tired of this view

Celebrate World Albariño Day (1st August)

I just learned that August 1 is World Albariño Day.  I'll drink to that! 

International Albariño Day, celebrated annually on August 1, was born out of a contest between two men — Bernardo Quintanilla and Ernesto Zàrate — to determine the best wine of 1952. The following year the Albariño Day celebration was established. 

The ‘Albariño’ grape is grown in several countries, but Spain is the largest producer, followed by Portugal where it is called ‘Alvarinho’. A good Albariño will dance with intriguing aromatic flavour. It has zesty acidity and notes of white fruit (pears, apples, and peaches), lemon/citrus, and sometimes almonds. It pairs extraordinarily well with seafood, the main staple of these coastal regions. 

International Albariño Day takes place on the last day of the Fiesta del Albariño, in Cambados, Spain. I don't know how we missed that when we spent three summers in Spain on our boat, sailing the Rias Baixas. We did visit Cambados, and we were always encountering fiestas and drinking plenty of Albariño, but never got wind of a Fiesta celebrating Albariño. What a shame, it would have been great craic. 

Albariño is a variety of grape grown mainly in Galicia, an autonomous province in NW Spain. In Portugal, it grows mainly in Melgaco and Monaco. Varietal white wines are made from the grape, which belongs to the Vitis vinifera species. Interestingly, Albariño is also grown in California, Oregon and Washington State. I also found Albariño wine being made in New Zealand by Cooper's Creek Vinyard,  Chateau Garage, and others. And now, Albariño is also being grown in Ireland!   

Contrary to the popular theory that Albariño grapes were brought to Spain by French monks from Cluny in France, research suggests the existence of these grapes in Spain for centuries. Moreover, no evidence of Albariño, even going by a different name, has been found in Cluny.

In other cities, such as Lima, Braga, Valdeorras, and Ribeiro, Albariño is mixed with other grapes like Loureiro, Godelho, Cainho, and Arinto to produce blended wines. Wine fermented from Albariño grapes is refreshingly light, with an alcohol level of about 11.5% to 12.5%. Furthermore, the grape itself is known for its distinctive botanical aroma with a citrus undertone. It also has thick skins and numerous pips, which may cause residual bitterness. 

#riasbaixas #albariño #singlevineyard #AlbariñoDay #WorldAlbariñoDay #whitewine #wineireland #shoplocal #greatwines #winelover

Veraison is underway

The Rondo grapes have started to turn red. Given that it's August 5, that's very early compared to last year, when I noted it first on the 15th of August. Alex trimmed vines and kiwis while I picked up fallen apples and pruned the cherry trees. It's curious that cherries are pruned in the summer whereas the others are pruned in the autumn. 

We've lost one cherry tree and part of another this year, as well as most of a pear. The pear we lost several years ago has grown back and is now producing fruit. I hope the cherry will come back, too. We have lots of apples and they are getting ripe already, much ahead of schedule. We have no plums and no cherries this year. Some of the apples have loads of fruit and some have none (the Cox's Orange apple and the ancient one).

This climate change thing is worrisome. The poor people in the south of the country had to face Storm Antoni overnight while we got just a little drizzle and almost no wind. The sun's been shining all afternoon but the land is soggy. 

We cleaned up the shed today, moving most of the gear onto the shelves and bringing in the German stuff from the dining room, finally. Alex installed the door knob and latch on the winery door yesterday and he'll return unused stuff to the shops on Tuesday as Monday is bank holiday. 

Tomorrow, we'll move some more stuff into the shed and then I plan to spend the day in the garden. I have been so tired lately that I can't face much more. 

Construction is finished

 

Yippee, the construction within the shed is done. Now just the final electrics and plumbing for the winery and we'll be set to go. The lads did a nice job on the floor and the racks for the kayaks and boards are perfect. Ghostie had great fun checking it all out today - she's wasn't spooked at all. Had to inspect every nook and cranny, including some that worried me. 

Yesterday we attended the Kenwright wedding at Knockranny, after which I could not sleep. So I finally got to see the supermoon, albeit high in the sky as the clouds parted at 3 am.