Our vines look great, especially compared to one of our next door neighbours in the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, who must have taken the summer off (left). Them grapes are sure gonna be no darn good.

Will our lovely grapes ripen before the ugly rot gets there first (right)?

In particular, effective spraying against the threat of mildew and rot was important, and the effeuillage in July, or pulling the leaves away from the fruit zone by hand, has kept the bunches well-aired. If they had been encased in a damp canopy of leaves at this stage, the grapes would have little chance of ripening and rot could develop quickly. We nearly bankrupted ourselves with the cost of it all – we had a team of a dozen or so experienced seasonal workers at times (left) – but it now feels like it was a risk worth taking.

This morning was cold and drizzly, so we need the weather to cheer up.