Sunday. Yet another sunny morning, with a forecast for more high temperatures. In theory at least, we have almost reached the mid-point of the harvest, which is just as well as we have now seen some forecasts of rain for Monday night (any time after about 5pm).

Traditionally, the weekend is always the busiest time, but despite this slight increase Sunday passed off without a hitch. We had one minor issue with the temperature control in one tank, but this was quickly resolved by our own people.

When we talk of yield at this time of year, we are, in effect. talking about two different things. There is the yield in the vineyard which reflect the amount of fruit collected in each vineyard, expressed in kilos per hectare, and then there is the yield that relates to the amount of juice extracted from the grapes, simply the litres per kilo.

I think I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that yields from the vineyards are smaller this year. Each harvest we try to estimate in advance how many kilos that we might have from our own vineyards. This is done by counting the bunches in a measured area and then multiplying this by our total surface area. On many occasions this is reasonably accurate, and allows us to plan how many empty tanks we will need, and the quantities of materials that we will need for wine making. This year, not only was our own estimate quite inaccurate, but also that of nearly all of our grape suppliers. I understand that this applies to the region as a whole and not only ourselves.

Yet another hot, sunny day. The irony of this is that Galicia is experiencing excessive heat, whilst in the South of Spain several people have now died in flooding caused by catastrophic rainfall. Fortunately it was not quite as hot as Friday, and by mid-afternoon some light cloud cover provided at least a little respite for our teams, both inside and outside the bodega. Unfortunately this cloud was short-lived.

In some ways Saturday was a routine day, but in another way perhaps slightly different. As with every harvest, a lot of our suppliers prefer to pick and deliver their grapes on a Saturday, and so not only is it busy, but it is nearly always a last minute rush! The bodega can be fairly quiet during the day, but once the sun begins to set then that’s when the really fun begins. The secret to dealing with this is simple, to have a good, hard-working, well organised team – some unloading the trailers, some loading and emptying the presses and others washing the cases. (Thank goodness the case washing machine that we installed last year is now working properly – last year was a bit of a nightmare as the filters were choking up every ten minutes which made it very much stop-start!).

We are stepping up the pace as much as we can simply because of the late summer heat. The high temperatures mean quite simply that the potential alcohol is increasing and the acidity is dropping. Obviously, as always, we want our wine to be as typical of our ‘cool-climate’ as possible. Let’s see what Sunday brings!

I should probably start by saying that day one was not without it’s hiccups. For example, a couple of temporary staff did not turn up for their evening shift in the bodega, and at one point our refrigeration machine (for cooling the tanks) cut out completely. We immediately called the engineers (to fix the machine – not to work a shift!), but before they even had chance to arrive, the machine miraculously started to work again. Of course this equipment is fundamental to our wine making (temperature control) and such random, unexplained failures can leave you with quite an uneasy feeling. Fortunately we can monitor this system during the night (by mobile phone), but checking your screen at 5am, after a late night, does not make for restful sleep!

Friday, our second day, was not only sunny but was probably the hottest day of the summer so far! By midday the temperature was already 28°C (83°F) and climbing. By mid-afternoon it had reached a baking 35°C (95°F). We were trying desperately to keep our picking team supplied with fresh water, although I’m sure that they would have preferred cold showers!

One important feature of the 2019 vintage is that it will probably be quite small in volume. Not only are the bunches and berries small, but the yields of kilo/hectare are also well below the norm. Growers simply have far fewer kilos than they thought, which I guess in the long-term, could have an effect on prices. On a more positive note, the must from the presses appears to not only be very concentrated, but also very clean.

Today I have included a photo of one of our lesser known vineyards, from which the eagle-eyed amongst you will spot immediately, is not a ‘pergola’ vineyard (but still produces some of our better grapes).

Here we go again! On a very bright, sunny Galician morning the 2019 campaign gets under way.

By mid-morning the first grapes were rolling in – exactly as I had described in an earlier post. Small berries in tightly packed bunches, green/gold in colour, but with surprisingly thin skins. Normally, at the end of a long, dry summer we might anticipate slightly thicker skin, but as I mentioned before, this is possibly because, although there was plenty of sunshine, it has never been excessively hot this summer (especially at night).

As always, every grape delivery is sampled, analysed and recorded as it enters the bodega, and the first results are similar to last year in a way. High levels of sugar (which translates into higher alcohol), but still with a good level of acidity. Tasting of the must revealed a very concentrated sweet must with green apple and floral hints. Despite this intense sweetness, there is still a fresh acidity in the background, which will help to offset the very ripe fruit.

I just thought that I should explain today’s photo because it can be a bit disorientating (if you are not sure exactly what you’re looking at). The photo is taken from the top of one of our tanks looking down inside. It shows a hose delivering fresh grape must directly from the press. Our press room is on a different level, above the tank room, and so most of the flow is controlled simply by gravity (the less need for using a pump, the better). This shot shows the very first juice of the 2019 harvest.

I mentioned in my last post that summer could be at an end. I was wrong! For the last few days (and apparently for the coming days), we are experiencing some of the best weather of this summer. Daytime temperatures are now hitting 30°C (86°F), and we have even enjoyed one or two ‘balmy’ evenings. Inevitably this is having an effect in the vineyards.

When I tasted one or two grapes last week, the sugar was only just apparent, and there was still quite a dominant amount of acidity. The bunches were tightly packed with small berries (not too unusual for albariño), but with surprisingly thin skins, which could be down to the lack of intense heat. As the berries are small, and there has been little or no rain for the last month or two, our yields could well be reduced, and the final quality? Well, we will just have to wait and see.

When I re-tasted our fruit today, there was quite an evolution within the space of one week. The bunches have started to change colour – from a verdant green they are now showing hints of gold (as you might just notice in today’s photo). The most significant change however, is the amount of sugar, which is now much more prominent, coupled with a corresponding drop in acidity, now much more in the background.

Analysis of the fruit is taking place as I write, but if this hot weather persists, then we could be less than a week from harvest. Vamos a ver!

Well, until now August has been a strange month – we have seen a lot of sunshine, but the temperatures? There haven’t been too many days reaching 30°C (86°) or even 25°C, for that matter, and the nights have been….. well, decidedly chilly! Evenings have not really been for t-shirts, but perhaps a little more suited to a sweater or jacket. There have also been a number of cloudy days when the sun has not really broken through until 4pm or 5pm in the afternoon. All-in-all it hasn’t been great weather for the tourists, or perhaps even the grape growers for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, our fruit is still very healthy, it really just means that the maturation of the fruit during August has been a little slower than we would have anticipated. Fortunately, it has remained almost completely dry.

Taking this into account, I would anticipate our harvest starting in the middle of September, and over the next few weeks, we will, as always, be gathering samples and closely studying the results to pick the optimum start date.

Obviously from today’s weather map you cannot actually see the temperature, but at 2pm I can tell you that it is only around 20°C (68°F) on the coast, and just a little warmer inland.

…..To buy a really good Castro Martin albariño of course!

A few days ago we welcomed a rather unexpected visitor to our door, actually quite ready to step inside if we hadn’t stopped him (or was it her?) It was the proverbial chicken, quite literally crossing the road in front of our bodega – perhaps just to get to the other side, or maybe in an attempt to escape the oven? (Sorry, that’s a very cruel thing to say, even if possibly true). Subsistence farming is still very common practice in many rural parts of Galicia. The good news is that we simply returned this poor lost soul to the coop.

Meanwhile, it seems that summer could be here! As I have mentioned before, we managed to escape completely from the recent freak heatwave that gripped the rest of Europe for a while. Indeed, we actually experienced a few cool cloudy days over this period. However, we now have sun and temperatures approaching 30°C (86°F), or at least we do for the rest of this week. Who knows what next week might bring?

In the vineyards our fruit is actually quite healthy, despite the changeable conditions, and is well into it’s growing cycle. The next month or two will therefore, be focused on ‘canopy management’ – thinning the leaves where necessary to give the bunches the correct amount of sunlight.

Two of the biggest problems that we have in our vineyards are disease (often weather related) and pests (insects that can cause and spread disease). In the case of vineyard pests there are many different preventative measures that can be employed, some more aggressive than others. The use of phytosanitary treatments is the easy option, albeit far from being the most natural, and we now spend our time looking for more suitable options, in our quests for mindful, sustainable fruit production.

One method is by the use of pheromone traps, which causes confusion and should prevent mating of the insects – a method that we use in our own vineyards. However, a new and more innovative method is being studied in other wine regions of the world…. bats.

Studies have been carried out in France over a three year period using bats as a method of pest control. It appears that certain species of bat will feast on both the grapevine moth and the cochylis moth – it is known as BatViti… The result has been that the amount of pesticides required has been “significantly” reduced, and only really need to be used as a last resort.

Of course, the species of bat used is critical (I guess), as there are, of course, some species that feed on fruit and would enjoy a veritable banquet in our vineyards!

Before you read my text, take a look at the picture and see if you can spot the glaring mistake (from the Guia Peñin).

Did you see it? Well, apparently Mexico City is now in Russia, or perhaps Moscow is in Mexico, there certainly seems to be some conflict in the message (but hopefully no conflict on the ground). The only things I can say is that it’s a good job that Peñin make wine guides and not atlases!!

Meanwhile, back in Spain, we have had a short week. Tuesday was Father’s Day (or San José), and so in at least some parts of the country it was a festivo (bank holiday). Of course, many businesses, including ourselves, added a ‘bridge’ day and enjoyed a long weekend.

I can safely use the word ‘enjoyed’ because the weather is extremely sunny, and will be for at least the whole of the coming week. Our vines are already well advanced for the time of year and the sunshine will only help to accelerate this even more. The only (slightly) good news is that the air temperature is deceptively cool, especially at night. The airflow that we have is from the north, meaning that night time temperatures are falling as low as 6°C (42°F) and during the day barely reaching 20°C (68°F). Certainly, if it wasn’t for the cooler airflow we would probably be well into the mid-20’s. If this continues we could be in for an early harvest in 2019.

In my last post I raised the question – what steps can we take to make our wine more natural? Of course, the answer to this question is, as always, divided into two parts – grape production and wine making.

We start by examining every process in detail by considering the best and most effective, natural products and operations that we can use, thereby manipulating the must and wine as little as possible. This might seem quite straightforward, but then, unfortunately, some of these processes can have drawbacks and can create potential problems, both to the finished wine and also its evolution in bottle.

Over the years I have written extensively about our vineyard practices, using as many traditional and organic products as possible. Not only are these better for the plants and soils, but the vines will also react naturally, not building any product resistance, as they might do in the case of some more modern systemic treatments. It’s very similar to humans. For example, the difference between using homeopathic medicines as opposed to antibiotics. The former is very natural, and whilst the latter might be more convenient, it can cause long-term problems, forming immunity and rendering treatment useless.

Inside the cellar we already know that white wines are especially prone to oxidation during every stage of their lifetime – from the moment fruit is picked to the moment that it sits in a glass waiting to be consumed. Preservation and longevity are therefore our biggest considerations in everything that we do. What can we do to capture, and ultimately preserve the freshness of the albariño grape variety, whilst at the same time keeping it as ‘natural’ as possible. It ain’t easy, that’s for sure!