Isn’t there a title of a workshop something like Psychology 101 or whatever where the number is meant to indicate that the learning experience is a basic one, even easy? Something like that anyway. And here we are in our vineyard blogs, after 13 years, at vineyard blog 101. But let me tell you there has been nothing easy about any of it.
It’s true that this year is turning out to be somewhat easier for a number of reasons. First and not insignificant this has been a hot summer, by British standards, and consequently we’re set up for a good harvest. I’ve included a number of pictures (above and below) to prove it. It’s not as good as 2018 which really was our best but that’s only because we have less vines now a significant number having succumbed to what we think was trunk disease. But the ones we have left, older now of course, have more fruit and at this time the sugar readings are looking positive. So that’s the good news and the basis for this blog 101.
The other good news is that I have learned it pays to get other people to do as much of the hands on work as is decently possible. Admittedly this was not the original plan, we were, until my recent operations, enjoying doing much of the graft ourselves but now physical necessity means we need help and not just from the kids.
Step up my neighbour he who has planted his own vineyard, slightly bigger and slightly younger than ours over the other side of the valley. We have struck a Faustian pact (or that’s a bit how it feels) where he can have as many of my grapes as he wants providing he both picks them and arranges to have them made (along with his own) into actual wine at a ‘’proper’ wine maker. Seems like a fair exchange at least we’re both happy with the arrangement. Oh and his team will pay for the making of it, so that’s cheaper.
That’s not to say that we aren’t spending any money, no siree. In the absence of netting protecting the grapes from the bloody birds (banned by the children who, as I say, have to be listened to because they provide a fair amount of labour from our side of the valley (as opposed to my neighbour’s side), I have, for the first time ever, invested in a bird-scaring gas gun. I hate them personally but needs must. So getting that made up by a local chap (£320) and then a battery and the gas another £180. That on top of the strimmer and earlier, the mower, means we’ve invested financially if not physically in our vineyard. I hate the noise (obviously a side product) Fortunately, it being a grouse shooting area, there are often bangs going off so we shouldn’t add to the irritations of the neighbours. Anyway I consulted them or one of them and he had no objections.
I did once go to some trouble to find out how other vineyards protected their crop against the birds and with the arrival of the gas gun I think I can say I‘ve tried them all – kites, fake birds of prey, nets – and none of them are without short-comings. And that’s another thing we’ve learned as we’ve moved through the numbers to blog 101.
So there we have it in twelve years of owning a small vineyard we have learned it’s expensive and it’s hard work. But do we regret setting it up? No I think certain periods aside (like the collapsed netting and posts under the weight of snow earlier this year) I can honestly say we do not, it’s brought a balance to our retirement and a lot of learning (101).
