Unfortunately, the forecast was right. Once the final grapes were safely gathered in on Tuesday evening, the rain continued for two days. It did not rain continuously but rather in sporadic downpours; certainly enough to stop us from picking.

Having said that, the grape must in our tanks still needed our attention. The first tanks of 2025 have now been seeded and the fermentations are underway. Re-hydrating the yeasts and then slowly adding grape must certainly produces some dramatic reactions, and watching the yeasts starting their work (in the large containers we use for mixing), can be quite mesmerising. As you can see from today’s photos can produce some very distinct patterns. Perhaps it is my imagination but the picture on the left, for me, resembles the top of a cup cake and the one on the right, an old fashioned cottage loaf.

The forecast predicts that we can resume on Friday – fingers crossed.