After the holidays of Christmas and then Reyes, we are finally back to work – schools have returned and people are back at their desks. Refreshed and ready for the challenges of 2016, assuming that you have managed to get out of bed! The reason I say that is because if you are one of those people who likes to lay in bed and listen to the rain on your window (tucked up warm under the duvet), then it’s possible that you might be starting to develop bed sores….. The weather in Galicia since the beginning of the year has been appalling, almost to the extent of being mildly depressing. It has been raining almost non-stop throughout the day and night. Skies have been dark, grey and leaden – on some days it has remained dark well into the morning, so much so that have been sitting at home with the lights on. For anyone that has taken an extended holiday over this period (which includes our bodega) it has been a complete washout. Even going out for the traditional Spanish ‘paseo’ (an evening walk before dinner), has been almost impossible, or at the very least, quite unpleasant.

It has also been quite mild, which unfortunately, is not great for our vineyards. All vines need an extended period of cold weather simply for them to recover from the exertions of producing fruit – in other words, winter! The rain also makes the already difficult job of pruning even more unpleasant – on sodden ground, with the rain in your face (as you reach up to work on the pergolas overhead)…..