August has been a very exciting month in the vineyard, with very little rain it has been amazing to see how even these young vines cope with the dry weather. All seems well, the canopy is looking lush and healthy, and the grapes have developed tremendously!
The grapes go through a process called Veraison, which is a French term for the turning of colour of the berries, they start to soften, and the red varieties turn a wonderful purple/black colour. Whilst the white varieties take on a more golden hue. The Solaris is already tasting great off the vine – just need to keep the pesky wasps and birds away now!
We have been mainly leaf pulling in the vineyard this month, trying to expose the fruit to some of the brilliant august sunshine that we have had – but not too much that they will burn! Yes, that does happen!
Also, after taking some leaves for analysis, we have tailored a foliar feed, specific to each varieties needs. This helps keep the vines as healthy as possible, which means they are more geared up to fighting off potential disease as well as being able to properly ripen our crop.
As we head into September, we will start to take berry samples to give us an idea on harvest dates! First up will be our Solaris, which may be as early as the 19th! We are looking for volunteers to help us bring in the crop, so if you fancy spending a day (or half day) down at the vineyard picking grapes then just drop us an email with your availability! We may be picking on weekdays or weekends, and it is weather dependant. But for more information, just drop us an email!
