During a walk just the other day I noticed that the red grapes are starting to turn color. That is, going from green to red. I wonder how long it will be before harvesting begins? I heard on the news that harvesting has already started in a region down south, but they always harvest early for the type of wine they make.
Looking easterly across the vineyard toward our hamlet.
Our local harvesting won't happen for a while yet. And since everything has been late this year, I'll bet the harvesting will start later than usual as well. The growers are probably hoping the dry weather will last so the grapes don't plump up too much.
The winemakers we know are saying early-mid October, and they would like a couple of days of rain between now and then, but everything is proceeding nicely as far as they are concerned. They've got over the shock of losing half their crop so early in the season, and are looking to make a small quantity of something exceptional this year.
ReplyDeleteWine growing must be such a difficult and unpredictable trade to be in.
ReplyDeleteEvery year seems to be a bad year, one way or another. Too much rain, not enough rain, late frosts and so on.
I wonder if there is ever a "normal" year.
I don't think the grape growers around here have lost any of their crop this year. Susan, are you talking only about Vouvray? In 2003, the harvest started on about Aug. 25, but not this year. Maybe Sept. 25.
ReplyDeleteVast fields of grape vines, so beautiful.
ReplyDeletesusan, the grapes look good around here. Like Ken, I don't think our local vines were damaged by the spring's nasty weather.
ReplyDeletejean, like a lot of agriculture, I imagine the stress of the weather could drive one to drink!
ron, we're lucky to have this out our back window!
There was a piece in my paper the other day about some growers being more or less wiped out by a freak hailstorm - in Burgundy, perhaps?
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