Now on the downhill stretch, with the end in sight, we started picking once again under clear blue skies. Considering the weather of only one week ago, when it looked like the end of the world (or perhaps just the end of the vintage) had arrived, we are quite fortunate that not one drop of rain has fallen during the entire campaign. With every single forecast looking good until the end of the week I don’t think that I am tempting fate by saying that.

The grapes entering our cellars during the last 48 hours are looking very good indeed, with a typical degree, correct acidity and pH, but above all else, with a lovely thick, honeyed juice. Whilst on the subject of QC, Angela is, as usual, beavering away in her laboratory analysing every batch of grapes that enters, often finishing in the early hours of the morning and last to leave the wine cellar. In fact our body clocks are actually quite well co-ordinated at harvest time – as a morning person, I cover the early shift, whilst Angela tends to finish a little later than me, and our paths cross occasionally in our bedroom! Anyway, today’s very brief clip shows Angela secreted away in her laboratory carefully studying must samples.

Today was not a very hard day, indeed, it hasn’t been a particularly tough harvest so far…… and the reason. It’s going to be a small crop, owing to this year’s reduced kilos and lower yields. Despite last week’s rain the berries have remained very small (which is actually quite typical of albariño), and the combination of a thick pulp and gentle pressing means that we are extracting less litres per kilo. The final count, that comes tomorrow, will tell the whole story. 

Now on the downhill stretch, with the end in sight, we started picking once again under clear blue skies. Considering the weather of only one week ago, when it looked like the end of the world (or perhaps just the end of the vintage) had arrived, we are quite fortunate that not one drop of rain has fallen during the entire campaign. With every single forecast looking good until the end of the week I don’t think that I am tempting fate by saying that.

The grapes entering our cellars during the last 48 hours are looking very good indeed, with a typical degree, correct acidity and pH, but above all else, with a lovely thick, honeyed juice. Whilst on the subject of QC, Angela is, as usual, beavering away in her laboratory analysing every batch of grapes that enters, often finishing in the early hours of the morning and last to leave the wine cellar. In fact our body clocks are actually quite well co-ordinated at harvest time – as a morning person, I cover the early shift, whilst Angela tends to finish a little later than me, and our paths cross occasionally in our bedroom! Anyway, today’s very brief clip shows Angela secreted away in her laboratory carefully studying must samples.

Today was not a very hard day, indeed, it hasn’t been a particularly tough harvest so far…… and the reason. It’s going to be a small crop, owing to this year’s reduced kilos and lower yields. Despite last week’s rain the berries have remained very small (which is actually quite typical of albariño), and the combination of a thick pulp and gentle pressing means that we are extracting less litres per kilo. The final count, that comes tomorrow, will tell the whole story.