With a smaller than average crop this year, grape picking was finished by early October. Another couple of weeks of winemaking meant harvest was over for another year. The warm and sunny autumn days ripened the grapes to perfection so that they were sweet and juicy and bursting with wonderful flavour. The art of the winemaker is to retain these flavours in the wine, and this is where keeping all the fermentations cool is so essential.
The much hoped for Indian Summer provided a perfect end to the grape growing season, but the warm days would make winemaking difficult for anyone without a cooling system. We make all our wine in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, but once the grape juice starts to ferment it can quickly heat up and easily run out of control if not constantly monitored. If fermenting tanks are not kept cool the juice will lose its flavour and become a very ordinary wine.
The early harvest meant we could get on with some of the jobs for which we've been trying to find time for months. We've had a thoroughly good clean up inside the winery, and have painted the outside. Plastic cladding has been put up inside to cover the wooden partitions and ceiling, which will make cleaning easier in future, and we've replenished the gravel on the paths through the vineyard.
Sam and Bob have been able to visit Epernay in Champagne for the trade exposition, something they're not normally able to do as it coincides with our harvest. It gave them an opportunity to talk with other sparkling wine makers and see what equipment is available. They don't seem to have bought themselves any new toys, but perhaps they're just not saying - I won't be at all surprised to see a lorry turn up from France with something new for us.
An almost tropical October has seen the vine leaves turn golden or red, but an absence of the usual gales or any air frost has meant they're stubbornly sticking to the vines. I'm itching to start winter pruning, but we must wait until the leaves have fallen, and any goodness in the canes has returned to the roots ready to sustain the leafless vine next spring. Also it's almost impossible to see what you're doing with all the leaves in place. You can't easily tell how well a vine has done over the year and consequently how many buds to leave on for next year, and the bundles of prunings with accompanying leaves are quite unmanageable.
But the main reason for not starting yet is the heat - never thought I'd be saying that in November! With so many things to carry when you're pruning - secateurs, sharpening stone, wire ties, clips, saw, and string, you need to wear something with lots of pockets. The ideal garment is of course the trusty wax jacket, which is fine in a normal winter, but on a sunny day makes you feel like you're in a sauna. Still, better to be too warm than too cold!