Angela and I start to look a bit jaded at the end of another campaign

With fewer grapes coming in this year, it would appear that today could be our last day, but on a positive note the weather for picking has been extremely kind to us. Without a single drop of rain (or even a cloud) this must possibly be the longest period of continuous sunshine that we have enjoyed since July.

As always, the trick of the last day is to end up with all the grapes inside, in quantities that will conveniently fit into our presses. For example, it’s no good arriving at the end of the day with 1000 kilos left hanging on the vine, as this is simply not enough to fill one press. Our two presses have minimum and maximum loads, and so we have to juggle with the numbers to make sure that the day’s crop can be divided effectively.

By about 9.30 pm the final grapes of 2008 arrive at the cellar door, and by 10.30pm they are all loaded into our presses. With a slow, gentle pressing cycle of about two and a half hours, this means that the last drop of juice is squeezed at 01.00am. Time to lock the door, turn off the light and go home to grab some sleep (before coming back early to check on the temperature control – or had you forgottten that story?)