A great start to Summer

We have had an almost perfect start to the Summer this year. The dry and warm weather has helped the vines push on and means they are already slightly ahead of where they should be. Flowering is now underway on all four varieties, the Solaris started first and almost all of them are in full flower now with the other varieties still catching up. Vines are self-pollinating and we should see the pea-sized berries start to form within a week or so if this weather holds. Temperature and rain can have a significant impact on the development of the fruit as cold temperatures will slow the process down and wet weather can affect bunch size and structure. 

As ever, we have spent a lot of time in the vineyard focussing on managing the canopy. With the shoot thinning finished we have lifted the first set of wires to enable the shoots to grow vertically and keep them tidy. As they continue to grow we will gradually lift the wires higher and put up the second set, then when they grow beyond these we will look to start trimming. The canopy will need constant monitoring and ‘tucking-in’ of the shoots throughout the rest of Summer, which is a great opportunity to keep an eye on the development of the grapes and to look out for any signs of disease or nutrient deficiencies. 

The excellent weather meant that we had a couple of really well-attended volunteer days. It’s fantastic to see people returning and bringing friends with them. Meeting and talking to new people about wine, Dunesforde, and life in general is something we really enjoy and we’re thrilled to see that people are enjoying coming down and sharing in our journey. As ever, if you are interested in our volunteer days, please get in touch with James at james@dunesforde.com.