Red: The Good, The Bad and The Deadly
October 9th 2008, by GQ
We’re still hanging in there, or rather the red grapes are. The forecast, although constantly changing, is in our favour. After some rain yesterday, more rain now and we’d have to harvest like crazy. Worse still, some of the grapes aren’t quite there yet and the days – and hours of sunlight – are getting shorter.
Reds: Hanging in There
October 3rd 2008, by GQ
It has been clear from the start that this was going to be a late harvest. So the vineyard work that we carried out earlier in the season has been crucial and as a result, thankfully, our vines and red grapes look really healthy as they creep closer towards ripeness. The photo, taken yesterday, shows the leaves all green and the grapes free of rot. For the time being, at least.
Clear Skies over Bordeaux
September 28th 2008, by GQ
It’s late and the harvest would have been a shocker if it hadn’t been for this fine, dry spell during the second half of September. And Bordeaux is a beautiful city when the skies are blue.
“Two things surprised me about Bordeaux,” wrote Paul Shearer in an article in the Financial Times, back in June. “The first was the breathtaking beauty of the place. The second was the warmth of the welcome from the Bordelaises.”
Cutting Away Unwanted Grapes
September 26th 2008, by GQ
The lovely, dry weather gives us the double benefit of waiting for the grapes to ripen and the chance for us to ditch any bunches which are affected by botrytis or rot before they are picked. As well as Nelly, Daniel and Samira, we’ve got Clementine (right) and Ronan staying with us to help out. This week we’ve been snipping away at the white grapes – the sauvignon blanc and the semillon.
It’s chilly and dry in the mornings, which helps to stop any rot spreading, but jackets are off later in the day.