From the syrah vineyard towards Neffiès
It’s the start of 2012 and the start of the year that will determine what goes into our glasses in 2014/2015. We have yet to start the pruning. Having such a tiny vineyard means we are able to leave the job until later. We like to prune late, just before the sap starts rising, as there’s some belief that it reduces subsequent disease.
The vines look pretty relaxed at the moment; they’re in their winter dormant phase, so it doesn’t matter that their feet are wearing grassy slippers. As soon as we’ve done the pruning we’ll cut back the grass and plough in some manure from our hens between the rows. Although we aren’t certified organic, we do use entirely organic practices. The roses at the end of the rows have decided it’s warm enough to bloom even though it’s early January. They may be in for a shock if the temperatures suddenly drop.
Rose on a row of Syrah
We had some extremely violent winds at the end of last week with gusts up to 140 kph. Our tractor shed took a bit of a battering, but nothing too difficult to repair quickly.
The tractor shed door has taken a beating
and the corrugated roof has peeled up
The only real fly in the ointment is the reappearance of the sheep and goats which are brought down each day to feast on the garrigue next to the vineyard. It’s a real nuisance as Flynn the husky is way too interested in them and we have yet to test our new dog, Jonty. It’s difficult to find a time when the goat man has taken his herd home, and the hunters have yet to come out after the wild boar. Somehow it feels as though someone or something is going to be killed whichever way we do it. Eeek.
Jonty
