I have just posted yet another vintage report, this time for our 2014 campaign, and the one thing that’s very obvious from writing these descriptions each year is that every vintage is different. Now, this might seem like a very simplistic statement, especially as our weather here is so variable (and unpredictable), but it did leave me asking myself the question, what are the contributory factors required to make a great albariño vintage? I had a look back through some of our older reports to see if I could find a pattern.

Perhaps the real answer is not quite as straight forward as it sounds, as it’s not simply a question of having good weather and lots of sunshine (albeit that this will certainly help), but it’s really more to do with having the right weather at the right moment. In winter for example, we need a decent amount of rain in order to replenish the water table, and a period of cold weather (with perhaps some days of frost), to help kill off unwanted pests and to give the plants the respite that they need in preparation for the next growing season.

In early Spring, once the thermometer begins to rise, we have bud break, followed two or three months later by possibly the most critical period of the entire year…… flowering.  Poor weather during the flowering period can result in a poor crop, an uneven crop, or possibly even no crop at all. It therefore goes without saying that dry, warm and sunny weather at this time, should produce a healthy, even flowering, and therefore the potential for a good, healthy crop of fruit.

As far as the summer itself is concerned, there is no doubt that a couple of dry, hot months will also help to produce good fruit, but there also comes a point where excessive heat or a lack of water will become detrimental to the harvest. Too much heat can shrivel the fruit, and eventually the plant will start to consume its own fruit sugars, as its natural survival mechanisms kick into action. Bearing in mind that typical Salnés albariño usually has a fresh acidity and an alcohol of between 12% and 12.5%, then it goes without saying that excessively hot summers are not necessarily what we want or need to produce a great wine.

On the other hand (as we know from our recent experiences), excessive water at the wrong time, can cause disease, or at the very least, some degree of dilution in our wine. A light watering during the summer will not hurt, and helps to keep the dust down, but then we certainly do not welcome rain in any shape or form during the harvest itself. In summary there is quite a delicate balance in getting the elements that we actually need, at the right time, and not to any excess….. I think it’s known as nature!

I have just posted yet another vintage report, this time for our 2014 campaign, and the one thing that’s very obvious from writing these descriptions each year is that every vintage is different. Now, this might seem like a very simplistic statement, especially as our weather here is so variable (and unpredictable), but it did leave me asking myself the question, what are the contributory factors required to make a great albariño vintage? I had a look back through some of our older reports to see if I could find a pattern.

Perhaps the real answer is not quite as straight forward as it sounds, as it’s not simply a question of having good weather and lots of sunshine (albeit that this will certainly help), but it’s really more to do with having the right weather at the right moment. In winter for example, we need a decent amount of rain in order to replenish the water table, and a period of cold weather (with perhaps some days of frost), to help kill off unwanted pests and to give the plants the respite that they need in preparation for the next growing season.

In early Spring, once the thermometer begins to rise, we have bud break, followed two or three months later by possibly the most critical period of the entire year…… flowering.  Poor weather during the flowering period can result in a poor crop, an uneven crop, or possibly even no crop at all. It therefore goes without saying that dry, warm and sunny weather at this time, should produce a healthy, even flowering, and therefore the potential for a good, healthy crop of fruit.

As far as the summer itself is concerned, there is no doubt that a couple of dry, hot months will also help to produce good fruit, but there also comes a point where excessive heat or a lack of water will become detrimental to the harvest. Too much heat can shrivel the fruit, and eventually the plant will start to consume its own fruit sugars, as its natural survival mechanisms kick into action. Bearing in mind that typical Salnés albariño usually has a fresh acidity and an alcohol of between 12% and 12.5%, then it goes without saying that excessively hot summers are not necessarily what we want or need to produce a great wine.

On the other hand (as we know from our recent experiences), excessive water at the wrong time, can cause disease, or at the very least, some degree of dilution in our wine. A light watering during the summer will not hurt, and helps to keep the dust down, but then we certainly do not welcome rain in any shape or form during the harvest itself. In summary there is quite a delicate balance in getting the elements that we actually need, at the right time, and not to any excess….. I think it’s known as nature!

I tasted some of our new 2014 albariño the other day, and it seems that Angela has now tasted them too. One of her impressions was that the new wine revealed hints of apple fruit, and by way of illustrating the point, she kindly posed for today’s photo!

I tasted some of our new 2014 albariño the other day, and it seems that Angela has now tasted them too. One of her impressions was that the new wine revealed hints of apple fruit, and by way of illustrating the point, she kindly posed for today’s photo!

This week is All Hallows’ Eve (the eve of All Saints Day), more commonly known as Halloween. It is a festival that been widely celebrated in the United States for many years, but is now gaining in popularity around Europe, although I rather suspect that many of those who join in have little or no idea as to its true pagan origins – it’s merely become more of an excuse to party, eat candies and play the occasional trick on people. And so, if you intend to indulge in a few Halloween treats, then what wine should you be drinking?! Well, perhaps if you’re still eating candy then you might be too young to be drinking wine anyway, but if you do, then the likelihood is that you will need something rather sweet to support all the sugar. For the adults amongst us, who perhaps prefer a more salty, savoury snack, then I would certainly recommend a crisp, refreshing albariño, which as we all know makes a great aperitif wine at any party…..

Meanwhile, back in the land of the living (a bit of Halloween humour there), we are reaching the very end of the alcoholic fermentation in our cellars. Indeed some tanks have already been sulphured, the action of which is to inhibit or kill off any unwanted yeasts in order to protect against secondary fermentations, that we don’t want or need this year. (In some vintages a secondary, malolactic fermentation can be used as a means of reducing the more aggressive malic acidity, converting it to much softer lactic acid). I have already tasted a few of the tanks, which are obviously full of sulphur, but attempting to taste through this, I think I can detect a wine that has good fruit, character and also good weight and body. As always, the acidity is very raw and green at this stage, but this will only soften given time, and after the wine has spent some time resting on its lees. We now just need to be patient.

This week is All Hallows’ Eve (the eve of All Saints Day), more commonly known as Halloween. It is a festival that been widely celebrated in the United States for many years, but is now gaining in popularity around Europe, although I rather suspect that many of those who join in have little or no idea as to its true pagan origins – it’s merely become more of an excuse to party, eat candies and play the occasional trick on people. And so, if you intend to indulge in a few Halloween treats, then what wine should you be drinking?! Well, perhaps if you’re still eating candy then you might be too young to be drinking wine anyway, but if you do, then the likelihood is that you will need something rather sweet to support all the sugar. For the adults amongst us, who perhaps prefer a more salty, savoury snack, then I would certainly recommend a crisp, refreshing albariño, which as we all know makes a great aperitif wine at any party…..

Meanwhile, back in the land of the living (a bit of Halloween humour there), we are reaching the very end of the alcoholic fermentation in our cellars. Indeed some tanks have already been sulphured, the action of which is to inhibit or kill off any unwanted yeasts in order to protect against secondary fermentations, that we don’t want or need this year. (In some vintages a secondary, malolactic fermentation can be used as a means of reducing the more aggressive malic acidity, converting it to much softer lactic acid). I have already tasted a few of the tanks, which are obviously full of sulphur, but attempting to taste through this, I think I can detect a wine that has good fruit, character and also good weight and body. As always, the acidity is very raw and green at this stage, but this will only soften given time, and after the wine has spent some time resting on its lees. We now just need to be patient.

I was driving home from the bodega at about 6pm yesterday evening, the temperature gauge in my car showing an outside temperature of 27°C (81°C). Wow, it’s hotter than July, I thought to myself, and this this week that could very well be true. On Monday afternoon the mercury hit 29°C (84°C), and has remained at that level all week. This is in complete contrast to a week ago, when our bodega was in danger of being washed away after a day or two of non-stop, torrential rain. Of course, now that we are busy working inside the bodega, with the fruit safely gathered in, the temperature and rainfall holds much less significance to us, but it’s still an indicator of how unpredictable our weather is, or has become in recent years. When I finally arrived home it was just like summer – people of the beach, and supper prepared on the barbecue!

By the way, when I mentioned ‘hotter than July’ I immediately thought of the Stevie Wonder album of that name (I could even picture the album cover), and then it occurred to me…. there’s probably a few (younger) people reading this post who might well be thinking ‘Stevie who?’

I was driving home from the bodega at about 6pm yesterday evening, the temperature gauge in my car showing an outside temperature of 27°C (81°C). Wow, it’s hotter than July, I thought to myself, and this this week that could very well be true. On Monday afternoon the mercury hit 29°C (84°C), and has remained at that level all week. This is in complete contrast to a week ago, when our bodega was in danger of being washed away after a day or two of non-stop, torrential rain. Of course, now that we are busy working inside the bodega, with the fruit safely gathered in, the temperature and rainfall holds much less significance to us, but it’s still an indicator of how unpredictable our weather is, or has become in recent years. When I finally arrived home it was just like summer – people of the beach, and supper prepared on the barbecue!

By the way, when I mentioned ‘hotter than July’ I immediately thought of the Stevie Wonder album of that name (I could even picture the album cover), and then it occurred to me…. there’s probably a few (younger) people reading this post who might well be thinking ‘Stevie who?’

Firstly my apologies for the silence over the last few days….. we have been a bit busy. All the additions have finally been made to the fermenting tanks and so the only thing left to do is wait. Of course, it goes without saying that we have to monitor the progress of each and every tank, and sometimes make small adjustments to the temperature if things are not progressing as we wish. This is exactly what we mean by ‘temperature control’ – we can adjust the speed of the fermentation simply by altering the temperature. Fermentation generates heat, and if left unchecked would career out of control and the whole fermentation process would probably be over in less than a week….. but the resulting wine? Well, perhaps not so good.

By monitoring the density twice a day, we can accurately measure how quickly the must is being converted into wine, and if we see that it is moving too quickly then we can simply reduce the tank temperature by half or maybe one degree, and this will bring the process back under control. Of course the speed at which we chose to make the fermentation is down to the individual winemaker, and relies both on experience, but also has to take into account the type of yeast being used. Different strains of yeast behave in very different ways, some are far more vigorous than others, and in addition they will often work within a completely different temperature range. For example, making the temperature too cold might simply kill some strains of  yeast, leaving a partly fermented wine. In addition, towards the end of the fermentation, we have to raise the temperature of the tanks slightly to allow the yeast to fully ferment and complete it’s job. Stopping the fermentation too early will simply result in a little more residual sugar being left in the finished wine – not a typical characteristic of albariño. Having said that, anything less than 5 grams of sugar per litre of wine will be barely discernable to the average consumer.

Firstly my apologies for the silence over the last few days….. we have been a bit busy. All the additions have finally been made to the fermenting tanks and so the only thing left to do is wait. Of course, it goes without saying that we have to monitor the progress of each and every tank, and sometimes make small adjustments to the temperature if things are not progressing as we wish. This is exactly what we mean by ‘temperature control’ – we can adjust the speed of the fermentation simply by altering the temperature. Fermentation generates heat, and if left unchecked would career out of control and the whole fermentation process would probably be over in less than a week….. but the resulting wine? Well, perhaps not so good.

By monitoring the density twice a day, we can accurately measure how quickly the must is being converted into wine, and if we see that it is moving too quickly then we can simply reduce the tank temperature by half or maybe one degree, and this will bring the process back under control. Of course the speed at which we chose to make the fermentation is down to the individual winemaker, and relies both on experience, but also has to take into account the type of yeast being used. Different strains of yeast behave in very different ways, some are far more vigorous than others, and in addition they will often work within a completely different temperature range. For example, making the temperature too cold might simply kill some strains of  yeast, leaving a partly fermented wine. In addition, towards the end of the fermentation, we have to raise the temperature of the tanks slightly to allow the yeast to fully ferment and complete it’s job. Stopping the fermentation too early will simply result in a little more residual sugar being left in the finished wine – not a typical characteristic of albariño. Having said that, anything less than 5 grams of sugar per litre of wine will be barely discernable to the average consumer.

Usually the grape harvest in our D.O. is spread over a period of about two or three weeks, sometimes more. Under normal circumstances the sub-zones in the south start well before their counterparts in the north, and may even finish before the north picks its first fruit. Despite there only being some 60 km between north and south, it can actually make quite a difference, especially as one moves inland away from the coast, and the cooling influence of the Ocean. This year however, it seems that things were quite different.

We have just received some stats from our local D.O. office showing that almost the entire 2014 harvest was collected in a little over one week. We often talk about waiting for a window in the weather, and this year it appears that almost everyone in our region took advantage of the very same window! After a period of torrential rain, at the very first opportunity, bodegas and their grape suppliers rushed out into the vineyards to gather in their precious crop. Of course, Castro Martin was no exception, mirroring the graph in today’s post and peaking at the very same moment as the rest of the region – Saturday 27th September, when over 3 million kilos were harvested (but not all by Castro Martin).

The total crop for 2014 of 24 million kilos is largely what was estimated before picking began, and although larger than 2012, it is still one of the smaller harvests of recent years. (Remembering that the area under vine has been growing steadily year-on-year since the very creation of the D.O., owing to the vagaries of our weather, growth in production does not always follow suit)

In the cellar our fermentations are all well under way, but it will be at least another week or two before the first stage of winemaking is concluded for this year.

Usually the grape harvest in our D.O. is spread over a period of about two or three weeks, sometimes more. Under normal circumstances the sub-zones in the south start well before their counterparts in the north, and may even finish before the north picks its first fruit. Despite there only being some 60 km between north and south, it can actually make quite a difference, especially as one moves inland away from the coast, and the cooling influence of the Ocean. This year however, it seems that things were quite different.

We have just received some stats from our local D.O. office showing that almost the entire 2014 harvest was collected in a little over one week. We often talk about waiting for a window in the weather, and this year it appears that almost everyone in our region took advantage of the very same window! After a period of torrential rain, at the very first opportunity, bodegas and their grape suppliers rushed out into the vineyards to gather in their precious crop. Of course, Castro Martin was no exception, mirroring the graph in today’s post and peaking at the very same moment as the rest of the region – Saturday 27th September, when over 3 million kilos were harvested (but not all by Castro Martin).

The total crop for 2014 of 24 million kilos is largely what was estimated before picking began, and although larger than 2012, it is still one of the smaller harvests of recent years. (Remembering that the area under vine has been growing steadily year-on-year since the very creation of the D.O., owing to the vagaries of our weather, growth in production does not always follow suit)

In the cellar our fermentations are all well under way, but it will be at least another week or two before the first stage of winemaking is concluded for this year.

In terms of activity inside the bodega, this is without doubt, our busiest time of year. It’s not just a question of throwing a bit of yeast into the grape must and waiting for something to happen – it is slightly more complicated than that. Apart from monitoring the tanks on a very regular basis, there are all sorts of additions and processes to be carried out, some that require the tank to be pumped over, and others that don’t. Pumping over is simply a method that we use for thoroughly mixing any addition that we make to a tank – Bentonite for example, a natural product which is added to clarify and stabilise the wine. Once the Bentonite is added we simply attach hoses to the top and bottom of the tank, and pump the grape must over from top to bottom in a cyclical motion. This is just a mixing process (which differs from the pumping over in red wine making where it is done as part of the process to help extract colour from the skins). Clearly, this doesn’t apply to white wine making.

Despite all this activity, there’s really not that much to see. A visitor to the bodega might see a bit of mixing, and perhaps the odd pump connected to a tank, but nothing that interesting to look at. Inside the tank there is a bit of foam and some bubbles, but as we mentioned a day or two ago, putting you head into a tank of fermenting wine is not recommended. As a keen photographer I have been trying to find some interesting pictures to add to my post, but to be honest most potential examples are pretty dull and don’t really show too much. By way of compensation I have made a small collage of various tank shots, and as you will see it does not make the most colourful compilation….

In terms of activity inside the bodega, this is without doubt, our busiest time of year. It’s not just a question of throwing a bit of yeast into the grape must and waiting for something to happen – it is slightly more complicated than that. Apart from monitoring the tanks on a very regular basis, there are all sorts of additions and processes to be carried out, some that require the tank to be pumped over, and others that don’t. Pumping over is simply a method that we use for thoroughly mixing any addition that we make to a tank – Bentonite for example, a natural product which is added to clarify and stabilise the wine. Once the Bentonite is added we simply attach hoses to the top and bottom of the tank, and pump the grape must over from top to bottom in a cyclical motion. This is just a mixing process (which differs from the pumping over in red wine making where it is done as part of the process to help extract colour from the skins). Clearly, this doesn’t apply to white wine making.

Despite all this activity, there’s really not that much to see. A visitor to the bodega might see a bit of mixing, and perhaps the odd pump connected to a tank, but nothing that interesting to look at. Inside the tank there is a bit of foam and some bubbles, but as we mentioned a day or two ago, putting you head into a tank of fermenting wine is not recommended. As a keen photographer I have been trying to find some interesting pictures to add to my post, but to be honest most potential examples are pretty dull and don’t really show too much. By way of compensation I have made a small collage of various tank shots, and as you will see it does not make the most colourful compilation….

The dreaded chore of cleaning is well under way, and there are areas of the bodega that are already returning to their more usual appearance – clean and well ordered. The space that bears the initial brunt of the annual harvest onslaught, our grape reception, is already clean, albeit that the 2,000 odd plastic cases we use for gathering our fruit are still piled high at the back of the building, awaiting their turn to be blasted with our jet washers. These cases and our grape reception actually have one thing in common – they are both only used for about one week out of every year, the rest of the time they simply gather dust!

Meanwhile, inside the winery, more tanks have now been seeded at the start of their alcoholic fermentation. As we all know, this is the process that converts the grape juice into wine, but one of the things that we cannot afford to forget is that winemaking not only creates alcohol, but also produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide. For this reason, our bodega is fitted with a powerful extraction system that blows air through the cellar at a rate of knots – once switched on the constant background hum of their motors serves as a subliminal reminder that fermentation is in progress. They are not switched off until the last tank has finished its transformation. Of course carbon dioxide at these levels, is a killer, and very occasionally, even putting your face too close to the top of a fermenting tank will take your breath away, and leave you gasping for air. Perhaps in a slightly more sinister fashion, concentrations of as little as 7% to 10% (which are largely odourless) can cause eventual suffocation. Symptoms begin with slight dizziness and headache, leading to visual and hearing dysfunction, and finally unconsciousness. This can all happen in less than an hour, which is why we have to remain very vigilant throughout.

TRAGIC FOOTNOTE: This is really quite odd, and extremely distressing. Only a few hours after posting this story I have learned of the tragic death of a young winemaker, caused by carbon dioxide suffocation. In the D.O. of Bierzo (which borders on Galicia), 25 year old Nerea Pérez died when she was overcome by this odourless gas and fell into the vat. She was discovered by her uncle, himself a well-known winemaker from the region, but unfortunately she could not be saved. We send our deepest sympathies to her family.

The dreaded chore of cleaning is well under way, and there are areas of the bodega that are already returning to their more usual appearance – clean and well ordered. The space that bears the initial brunt of the annual harvest onslaught, our grape reception, is already clean, albeit that the 2,000 odd plastic cases we use for gathering our fruit are still piled high at the back of the building, awaiting their turn to be blasted with our jet washers. These cases and our grape reception actually have one thing in common – they are both only used for about one week out of every year, the rest of the time they simply gather dust!

Meanwhile, inside the winery, more tanks have now been seeded at the start of their alcoholic fermentation. As we all know, this is the process that converts the grape juice into wine, but one of the things that we cannot afford to forget is that winemaking not only creates alcohol, but also produces significant amounts of carbon dioxide. For this reason, our bodega is fitted with a powerful extraction system that blows air through the cellar at a rate of knots – once switched on the constant background hum of their motors serves as a subliminal reminder that fermentation is in progress. They are not switched off until the last tank has finished its transformation. Of course carbon dioxide at these levels, is a killer, and very occasionally, even putting your face too close to the top of a fermenting tank will take your breath away, and leave you gasping for air. Perhaps in a slightly more sinister fashion, concentrations of as little as 7% to 10% (which are largely odourless) can cause eventual suffocation. Symptoms begin with slight dizziness and headache, leading to visual and hearing dysfunction, and finally unconsciousness. This can all happen in less than an hour, which is why we have to remain very vigilant throughout.

TRAGIC FOOTNOTE: This is really quite odd, and extremely distressing. Only a few hours after posting this story I have learned of the tragic death of a young winemaker, caused by carbon dioxide suffocation. In the D.O. of Bierzo (which borders on Galicia), 25 year old Nerea Pérez died when she was overcome by this odourless gas and fell into the vat. She was discovered by her uncle, himself a well-known winemaker from the region, but unfortunately she could not be saved. We send our deepest sympathies to her family.

Although we breath a big sigh of relief once the picking has finished, this is of course, only the first part of the process, but I’m not going to stand, hands on hip, and boldly declare “mission accomplished” like one famous politician that we all know and love (or not)! There are now two very big, and equally important jobs that follow: cleaning and winemaking.

I have to be honest and say that I know that cleaning is not one of the most popular jobs, but it’s just one of those things that has to be done – roll your sleeves up and get on with it. As I have described many times before, it’s all about the must – the thick, sticky grape juice gets everywhere, and when it does, then boy does it stick. The worst of all is when it appears in an exposed place where it can be ‘baked on’ by the sun; then it simply dries like a coat of varnish. Take for example, the pathways and loading area in front of the Bodega. In today’s photo you can see the containers of ‘bagazo’ (skins and stalks left after pressing) lined up waiting to be collected by the distillery, to be made into aguardiente (grappa or eau-de-vie). It doesn’t matter how careful you are, they always leave a trail of juice and skins behind when you move them. The big problem is that the front of our Bodega faces due south, and so this trail becomes baked on to the terracotta pavement. It can only be removed with pressure washing machines.

Meanwhile, in the cellar, the first step of the winemaking process has already begun, as we seed the very first tanks with yeast. In another week or two we will actually have wine – but still a very long way from being finished. More on that as we go along.

Although we breath a big sigh of relief once the picking has finished, this is of course, only the first part of the process, but I’m not going to stand, hands on hip, and boldly declare “mission accomplished” like one famous politician that we all know and love (or not)! There are now two very big, and equally important jobs that follow: cleaning and winemaking.

I have to be honest and say that I know that cleaning is not one of the most popular jobs, but it’s just one of those things that has to be done – roll your sleeves up and get on with it. As I have described many times before, it’s all about the must – the thick, sticky grape juice gets everywhere, and when it does, then boy does it stick. The worst of all is when it appears in an exposed place where it can be ‘baked on’ by the sun; then it simply dries like a coat of varnish. Take for example, the pathways and loading area in front of the Bodega. In today’s photo you can see the containers of ‘bagazo’ (skins and stalks left after pressing) lined up waiting to be collected by the distillery, to be made into aguardiente (grappa or eau-de-vie). It doesn’t matter how careful you are, they always leave a trail of juice and skins behind when you move them. The big problem is that the front of our Bodega faces due south, and so this trail becomes baked on to the terracotta pavement. It can only be removed with pressure washing machines.

Meanwhile, in the cellar, the first step of the winemaking process has already begun, as we seed the very first tanks with yeast. In another week or two we will actually have wine – but still a very long way from being finished. More on that as we go along.

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.