If we lived in the south of Spain, and it was summer, it might be quite understandable to welcome a period of rain – but it’s winter, and we’re here in Galicia, and so this idea is probably not quite so normal. When I am explaining to people about the lack of rain that we’ve experienced, I try very hard not to exaggerate, but I think I am correct in saying, that up until Easter we had suffered a period of between 2½ and 3 months with virtually no rain whatsoever (perhaps 2 or 3 hours of light rain in total). I don’t have the actual statistics, but suffice to say that it’s been dry!

Immediately following the Easter holidays the skies turned their more usual winter shade of grey, and some very welcome, more persistent rain arrived. Now, I’m not suggesting by any means that our period of drought is behind us, but the last week of rain will certainly do no harm – it would probably require several weeks more to return the water table to normal levels.

The other significant factor is the temperature, whilst our nights have largely remained cool, daytime temperatures before Easter were regularly pushing over 20°C (68°F), and often into the mid 20’s. However, this last week has seen the thermometer fall to the low teens during the day, perhaps averaging only 12/13°C (54/56°F).

Of course by now our vines are already well advanced and vineyards all around us are turning green as the growing season gets under way. There is no doubt that this period of wet weather will help, and I do hope that it will continue at least for another few weeks, or at least until the flowering.

If we lived in the south of Spain, and it was summer, it might be quite understandable to welcome a period of rain – but it’s winter, and we’re here in Galicia, and so this idea is probably not quite so normal. When I am explaining to people about the lack of rain that we’ve experienced, I try very hard not to exaggerate, but I think I am correct in saying, that up until Easter we had suffered a period of between 2½ and 3 months with virtually no rain whatsoever (perhaps 2 or 3 hours of light rain in total). I don’t have the actual statistics, but suffice to say that it’s been dry!

Immediately following the Easter holidays the skies turned their more usual winter shade of grey, and some very welcome, more persistent rain arrived. Now, I’m not suggesting by any means that our period of drought is behind us, but the last week of rain will certainly do no harm – it would probably require several weeks more to return the water table to normal levels.

The other significant factor is the temperature, whilst our nights have largely remained cool, daytime temperatures before Easter were regularly pushing over 20°C (68°F), and often into the mid 20’s. However, this last week has seen the thermometer fall to the low teens during the day, perhaps averaging only 12/13°C (54/56°F).

Of course by now our vines are already well advanced and vineyards all around us are turning green as the growing season gets under way. There is no doubt that this period of wet weather will help, and I do hope that it will continue at least for another few weeks, or at least until the flowering.