Whilst it might seem pretty boring, banging on about the weather in every post, we are still farmers, and weather is a critical factor in determining the final quality of our crop. I can probably sum up the summer of 2025 in three words – hot and dry! I think the last time that we had any real precipitation was probably June, and in the last month, not only zero rain, but many, many days around the 30°C mark (86°F), and a number even higher than this – last week up to 36°C (96°F). The lack of water means that the bunches are there, and starting to ripen, but the berries have not really expanded in size; bunches are still small and tightly packed. It is likely that this will have an impact on our yields, and we will have to monitor the acidity and sugars in the fruit very closely. Of course there are still a few weeks before harvest, but the long range weather forecast is not too promising…. just more of the same.

The only respite has come from the Ocean, with a few breezes to at least lower the ‘perceived’ temperature by a degree or two, and lately, a few days of sea fog. Today, for example, we have quite a thick fog (more than just a mist), and thankfully the temperature has dropped to around 22°C. There is also a very fine mist of moisture hanging in the air, but I am sad to say that this might be the nearest we come to rain before we start picking.

Inside the bodega, we are already starting to prepare tanks, before we enjoy a short summer break later this week. I still believe that we will pick during the first week of September, so we have to move quickly.

The weather in Rias Baixas has been largely dry since the middle of May. Yes, there have been odd days of rain, but nothing very significant. In mid-June we experienced the first real heat, with temperatures into the low 30’s°C (86°F) and apart from one cooler, grey week during July, the hot summer weather has continued. The protracted wet conditions during spring 2025 has meant that our vines are not showing any signs of stress as yet, but if these 30°+ temperatures continue unabated, then we might start to have a few problems. Small berries, high sugar (alcohol) and low acidity.

In the meantime, this extended dry spell, with little moisture at all, means that Galicia’s extensive forests are tinder dry, and only need on small spark to set them off. About 30% of our forests are actually eucalyptus (which is not indigenous to this part of the world, and was only introduced in the 19th Century). The big problem with eucalyptus is that it is a ‘pyrophyte’ species, and needs fire to survive and reproduce. They grow very quickly, survive fire (which many other species do not) and the vegetation, bark and branches that fall provide perfect fuel for any flame or spark. The oil in the eucalyptus trees mean that fires can burn and spread twice as fast as those burning in other forests. They are now so prevalent (and durable), that it would be quite impossible to replant and replace them.

In the last few days we have seen a significant fire burning break out in the Meano area, only a few kilometres from our bodega, shrouding some local towns and villages in smoke… thankfully it was contained reasonably quickly, but still serves as a warning.

Pretty much the whole of Europe has been experiencing extreme temperatures for the last few weeks. Having said that, the Galician coast is usually a bit cooler than the rest of the continent, being moderated by the effects of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite this, we have still experienced a prolonged period with temperatures hovering around the 30°C (86°F) mark. At the moment our grapes are thriving, but if this hot, dry weather persists, then it could well have a detrimental effect on the fruit. In these extreme conditions we could potentially see small, thick skinned berries giving us a much lower yield. Some time ago, I had also predicted quite an early harvest, perhaps the first week of September, but if we start to see excessive ripeness and acidity dropping, there is an outside chance that our harvest date could be a bit nearer to the end of August. As always we are in the lap of the weather Gods…

Today’s picture highlights a promotion recently held in the Candida Restaurant near Malaga, which is not only famous for it’s use of local produce, including fish, but most especially it’s fresh tuna. Unfortunately, just too far to go for lunch!

After a cool, wet and very changeable spring, we are finally enjoying a settled period of warm, dry, sunny weather (touch wood!) Since more or less the middle of May we have experienced blue skies and much warmer temperatures as it finally feels like summer might be on the way.

During the last couple of months we have had a few sunny days, but until now the temperatures had always remained stubbornly low, mostly in the mid-high teens °C (mid 60’s°F). This week, however, the thermometer has climbed by several degrees and we are now experiencing temperatures between 25° and 30°C (77° – 86°F).

The result of this sudden  burst of good weather is that flowering has more or less happened in a flash; from flowers first appearing in the last week or two, there are now a number of areas where we already have fruit set, when the tiny pea-like grapes first appear. If this carries on over the next week (which it is forecast to do), then it is likely that we will have an early harvest. If the rest of the season progresses normally (whatever that is these days!) we are looking at probably around the first week of September to start picking. It is actually a little daunting to be thinking of harvest already, it seems to arrive more and more quickly every year!

At 11.30am on a regular Monday morning the lights suddenly went out (which is not an unusual occurrence in this part of the world). Little did we know, this time it was to be very different; it was not just local, but a National power cut! At that point nobody knew what had caused it, or how long it was likely to last.

As it became known that the outage was likely to take several hours to restore, businesses that had not already stopped trading, soon decided to close their doors and call it a day. Shop tills were down, goods could not be scanned, and paying by card or mobile became impossible. So much for a cashless society!

After a few hours the mobile network also started to collapse. Communication was almost completely compromised, and the resultant sense of isolation almost reminiscent of the dark days of Covid. FM radio (battery operated, of course) was the only real source of information.

We had hoped that power might be restored by evening, but as darkness fell there was little else to do but have an early night.

The following morning it was not until 07.30 that the grid was reconnected, some 20 hours after the initial failure. However, the mobile network and internet was not restored until much later, the phone signal was spasmodic, and it was not until late evening that full service was resumed. It was a difficult day all round.

Well, it would be true to say that our blog has been a little abandoned this winter, but actually this is mainly because once the holidays are behind us, there is really not too much to write about! Apart from sending out orders, the only main activity has been pruning (although I feel that this subject has been pretty much exhausted over the years!) Anyway, this is thankfully now behind us for another year and our vineyards are primed and now ready for some warm spring sunshine (see today’s photo).

The month of February was quite cold and damp, but although it rained on quite a number of days, there didn’t appear to be too many days that produced heavy, saturating rain. Many days of light rain and drizzle, and also the fine ‘mizzle’ that hangs in the air and sticks to your clothes. Yes, we had some stormy days, with high winds and driving rain, but overall I wouldn’t classify this winter as being overly wet (perhaps the stats will prove me wrong?). March has started with a number of bright, sunny days, but with deceptively chilly breezes and temperatures not much higher that 15° or 16°C (almost 60°F). As a result, there is no real sign of budding just yet, but probably starting very soon.

Our 2024 wines are, of course, still sitting quietly on their lees, and have been subject to regular tasting by Angela and myself. They still look quite promising, and we will soon have to plan the different permutations of tanks for blending. (Yes, we do blend tanks, even with just one single varietal, to give our customers some ‘uniformity of style’ across the coming year, each tank being slightly different to the next).

Well, the (extended) holidays are now behind us, and we now move into a New Year full of optimism and hope. 2024 will not necessarily be remembered with great fondness, as many of us struggled in a very difficult economic climate. We have our fingers crossed that 2025 can only be better!

To be honest, once the flurry of Christmas orders has passed, it signals the start of what is, traditionally the quiet time of year. Outside our bodega the only real activity is the tough annual job of pruning. The weather has not be particularly conducive either, the early part of December being quite cold and wet. It was not until the latter half of the month, and over the holidays that we saw a number of drier, sunny days, albeit that once we entered the New Year, the rain returned (and included a few quite wild and stormy days).

I briefly mentioned ‘extended’ holidays because in Spain there are actually three holidays – Christmas, New Year and ‘Reyes’. Reyes is twelfth night (celebrated on 6th January), when the Three Kings arrived to present their gifts. Many people exchange their gifts on this day, although some are known to do it both at Christmas and Reyes. Whenever they chose to do it there is always a lot of eating involved too!

The Spanish news channels are, quite naturally, filled with the tragic story of the devastating floods in Valencia. Storms that arrived almost without warning that can almost certainly be attributed to some of the many changes brought about by global warming. It is all very worrying, and also appears to be getting more extreme with every year that passes.

Here in Galicia we must consider ourselves lucky that we have not really suffered any extreme weather events to date, although we are still witnessing some fairly abnormal conditions. Since the harvest our weather has been changeable, a wet, stormy period well into October, now followed by days of unseasonably warm weather. During the first days of November many people took to our local beaches to catch the hot sun, and then yesterday, as I left the bodega (in completely overcast conditions) the outside air temperature was as high as 23°C (73°F). (Today’s slightly surreal photo shows one local beach this past weekend, with people sunbathing under a rainbow!)

Finally, on a much more serious note, our thoughts and prayers remain firmly with the people of Valencia.

Well, it’s been a few weeks since the last grapes were picked, and we have reached a point where all fermentations have finally been completed too. It is now simply a question of allowing the new wine to sit quietly on it’s lees until the Spring of new year. We can almost start to relax a little! Having said that, he big job (underway at the moment), is a deep clean of the inside of the tank room, where we actually make the wine. The pressing area (including presses), grape reception and all working areas have already been completed, but the tank room itself could not even be started until every tank is completely closed and tightly sealed.

Outside the bodega (apart from cleaning every plastic case used for collecting grapes) we have also been doing a bit of building work. One night during the harvest, I took a ‘romantic’ picture of the Cambados sunset reflected in a small stream. The reality is that this ‘stream’ was actually an overflow from cleaning the bodega that the ‘water ditch’ simply couldn’t handle. It really needed a big clean-up and an upgrade!

Today’s photo shows the before and after. Clearly the sunset picture is more attractive, but unfortunately the ‘stream’ was actually a blockage that really needed sorting out. The concrete drain that has replaced the ditch is not beautiful, by any stretch if the imagination, but it had to be done…. simply meaning no ‘sunset reflections’ next year!

On Thursday evening I suffered a problem with my computer – at first it was simply a problem in uploading pictures to our social media, and then, by Friday, I had no access to social media at all, and needed to wait until today for IT support. Whatever the problem it has now been resolved and so I will make a quick summary of the last few days.

Friday 20th – Day 9

Not the best day weather wise. We started the morning with a heavy fog/sea mist which, during the morning deteriorated into a fine drizzle of rain. As we were nearing the finish line, and the rain was barely enough to penetrate the canopy, we decided to continue. In the end it proved to be a good decision, in that, as the day progressed, the weather dried up completely. Despite these slightly complicated conditions, the fruit was still good quality, and was not affected by the recent downturn in conditions.

Saturday 21st – Day 10

A washout! The morning started with rain, albeit not heavy. As our teams were all beginning to tire, we decided not to pick at all. During the afternoon the rain stopped and the sky cleared, meaning that the last fruit would at least be dry for the following day.

Sunday 22nd – Day 11

Our last day, collecting the final grapes of our 2024 harvest, and thankfully the weather is dry and sunny! (Just as well, the forecast for the coming days is rain, rain and more rain!). It seems that this year we will probably end up with a slightly larger harvest than last year, and despite all the difficulties earlier in the year (and in the final days before we started), it seems that we will probably end up with a good quantity of good quality fruit (albeit that I never like to pre-judge at this early stage). Clearly, with our tanks now rapidly filling, or already full, the balance of our workload is now shifting indoors, towards the bodega itself.

In the coming days I will comment more about our winemaking, as the grapes finally start to reveal their 2024 character and potential.