New Haircut...

Summer is in full swing! Following a little rain in the spring, we have had a hot summer, with temperatures reaching upwards of 40 degrees Celsius! Despite various forecasts for plenty of rain, as usual our little spot on the Cawston bench has remained relatively unscathed, allowing us to control the moisture levels with our drip irrigation. A recent watering will be the last one for a long time, as we begin to stress the vines. This heat means there has been considerable growth in a short period of time, and has kept us busy this month tucking the shoots inside our top wires. Inevitably, there are always some or many shoots that grow outside the top wires or are blown over in the wind and it becomes our task to tuck these shoots back in and clip them in place. This ensures the shoots stand straight and do not snap in the wind. It is a lengthy process and our shoulders might pay the price, but the vineyard cleans up nicely. Next step, hedging. I'm in the thick of it now, so to speak. Call me a geeky farmer, but after all the tucking and hedging is done, it makes me happy to see it all cleaned up, like a brand new haircut.