We seem to be having quite a few pauses for thoughts during the 2013 harvest. This time last year we were in our final week of picking - this year we haven't even started the reds. Harvesting looks like it will be going on (and on) until the end of October as we have to wait until the grapes are perfectly ripe.
The whites have been picked though and are gently fermenting away. This year we have some new grape varieties to play with from the small ancient vineyards that I bought back in March. The traditional Macabeo grape and the unusual Carignan blanc.
The weather has been lovely so far - oh yes il fait beau - but for how long?
So in our days when we are not harvesting, there is still plenty to do. Checking maturity of the grapes, mending electric fences, looking after fermenting juice. There is never a dull moment and not enough hours in the day.
Too much thought is not always a good thing though - is it going to rain? are the wild boar eating the grapes? will we have enough people to pick? are there enough beers in the fridge? The day to day worries of a vigneronne who is beginning to realise that it is impossible to plan too far ahead, each day has its surprises and you never know what is round the corner.
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