I think that I must be clairvoyant! Back at the end of June I posted on this site that the weather here had been quite poor, but that in a few weeks we might be begging for cooler weather. Well, that prediction has pretty much become the reality! It was the 22nd July to be exact, that we experienced a quite dramatic change – the sun came out and the mercury immediately hit 30+°C (86+°F), indeed that week we probably exceeded 35°C. By the way, I remember the date so precisely because it was the day that my old friend Tim Atkin MW arrived in the region for a weeks visit (dining with us that same evening).

This hot weather has continued almost without respite since then, with the exception of one day, when we had a little light rain (but barely enough to penetrate the canopy of our vineyards). Of course, this is very much what we needed, as, until that moment, there had been a distinct lack of heat and sun. The effect of this prolonged, hot period has probably changed our original forecast of a mid-September harvest, accelerating the maturity meaning that we may now start in early September. Quality is difficult to predict at this point, but certainly the sun has helped.

Today’s video originates from a recent promotion in Ireland (our thanks to the Seafood Café in Dublin for their support).