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french Wine & Climate Change

by Rob Brimfield and Seve McMahon

We have been keeping busy here at Clos Vieux Rochers with the coming and going of guests and visitors We were surprised to find a surge in interest from Finland this year but with the arrival of some Finish guests we found the reason, it seems that the early episodes of A new Life In The Sun are being aired there and has been a big hit there so it looks like we will be getting a few more visitors from the region

Our recent “Musique Dinetoire event was a great success and highlights will be shown on next spring s A new Life In The Sun Where are they now?” We are planning a few more events before the end of the season so keep an eye out if you would like to come to one This year we have been welcoming more groups for Wine Tour and Tasting with lunch being booked which are always enjoyed and often repeated

Our beehives that we introduced in April have been busy, one exceptionally so and we will be har vesting our first batch of honey ver y soon which is exciting To see the way the hive works close up is quite incredible and we have left a lot of our land to meadow this year and the wild areas have produced a vast array of different wild flowers and grasses We also planted over six hundred lavender plants to add to the food source of the bees so we hope to have a nice fragrant honey produced by our busy little workers

As the growing season enters its final month we hope that August will bring good sunshine and a little early morning rain to plump up the fruit Good sunshine builds the sugars and a little rain adds quantity to the juice Together it helps to make a good har vest, unfortunately, the early part of the year has not been the greatest with heavy and moist conditions making ideal conditions for problems with much of the young fruit and flowers not developing at all The conditions have not been perfect for several years now and the winemakers of the Bordeaux region have like many regions been hit with extremes in weather with the late frosts, hail, too much sun or not enough sun, too much rain or not enough rain The French wine industr y has been looking at how to combat climate change to protect what is a major industr y in France Technology has been playing a part, historically vignerons lit fires at the ends of the rows to combat late frosts that risked the flowers in April now there are blowers and fans, lamps strewn in the vines and even helicopters flying over the vineyards

The area of Saint Emilion, which also affects our vineyard due to its proximity, has a new defence system to combat hail Hydrogen balloons each filled with 200 grams of “ hygroscopic salt” are released when hail is close, the balloons burst at a fixed height and the salts transform the hail to rain over the past two years this has been used twice and successfully stopped the hail and the damage it would have caused Tests are also under way with new varieties of grapes being trialled that are more resilient to the weather extremes we are facing but these sorts of changes will take years to implement with newly planted vines taking five years to produce fruit and ten years before the plant produces fruit that would be classed as mature

There are over four hundred French grape varieties and less than a third are currently grown to produce wine This being the case there is the possibility that some of these old and unused varieties will see a comeback after previously being discontinued due to requiring ver y hot summers before they will fully ripen as well as being more hardy in drought conditions no matter what the results of these trials are we are going to see a real change over the next twenty-five years There will be new wine varieties as previous areas that haven’t had a wine industr y develop one Current wine regions will have different varieties producing wines that do not compare to the region's current wine production

Irrigation is also something that is being considered, here in Bordeaux we are not allowed to irrigate and this is the case with most appellation wines, strict regulations are in place but with more issues with drought could see limited irrigation being allowed as a regular thing The safeguarding of the true vintages of appellation wines will always mean tight controls as over-watering will increase the yield but affects the quality of the juice and in turn the quality of the wine

All this means we might have a different look to the vineyards by 2050, new varieties, irrigation, covered vineyards and previously unknown vineyard in different locations France is not on its own with this battle and some places like the Uk are seeing an increase in wine production who knows maybe they will produce a decent red by 2050?

If you are in the area please call in or if you need a short break, come and stay in one of our gites where you will always get a warm welcome from The Vineyard guys

As we step into August many gardeners might feel a sense of impending gloom as the peak gardening season begins its descent into the off-season However, it's important to remember that our garden plants are hardier than we think There's a plethora of gardening tasks for August that will keep our gardens thriving longer and offer opportunities to get a head start on next year s garden plans them to ensure continued flowering Dahlias for instance whether in pots or borders benefit greatly from regular deadheading This simple task keeps the plant flowering longer However, keep an eye out for ear wigs, which can damage the petals, and pick them off when you spot them

In August look out for clematis wilt which manifests as black discolouration on leaves and stems Cut off any infected parts (but avoid composting them to prevent spreading the disease) and treat the plant well after wards

Vine weevil beetles can be particularly problematic, especially for plants in pots Always be on the lookout for these pests If you notice semi-circular notches being eaten out of leaf edges, it might be a sign of these destructive insects

If you haven't cut back flowering perennials yet, there's still time They'll flower again putting on new growth before autumn Lavender plants can also benefit from some attention this month Trim back lavender flower stalks once they've faded and lightly trim the current foliage to encourage new shoots But remember to water camellias and rhododendrons thoroughly during dr y weather as next year ’ s flower buds are beginning to form

August gardening tasks can be a mixed bag The on-going heat wave poses an additional challenge, but it also affords us the chance to enjoy the warmth and sunshine while we tend to our beloved gardens now is the time to collect seeds from perennials and annuals You could sow them immediately or store them for next year in paper bags keep picking flowers for instant colour or deadhead

Slugs and snails might have taken a backseat during the hot July weather but other pests like red lily beetles are still around, ready to wreak havoc on your plants Look out for their grubs in the 'black sludge' on the leaves Simply pick them off or rub the leaves with a damp tissue to keep your fingers clean! When it comes to plant care don t forget to prune rambling roses after the flowers have faded and the hips have formed This encourages the growth of new shoots and promotes healthier plants

While we ' re busy tending to our gardens, it's crucial to look after ourselves too Always wear a hat in the sun, protect yourself from insect bites, apply sun cream (even on your hands), and stop often for long cool drinks And of course take time for reflection it s still gardening!

We mustn't forget about wildlife either, keep birdbaths topped up with fresh water and leave water and tinned cat food out for baby hedgehogs If you have a pond, remove oxygenating plants and rake out blanket weed, but leave it on the side of the pond for a bit to allow wildlife to return to the water

If you ' re looking to get a head start on your garden plans for next year consider planting colchicums (autumn flowering crocus) now They ll add a splash of colour to your garden in the autumn

Despite the work involved, gardening in August can be a joy Some of the tasks may feel like outdoor houseworkcleaning the greenhouse, organising the tools, fixing hooks on the wall rationalising the flowerpots - but it s all part of the process Gardening helps us stay focused and fit and the results bring us immense pleasure and wellbeing

Whether you have hectares of land or just a few pots on a balcony, the feeling is the same August is officially the last month of summer so let s make the most of it Enjoy whatever you do in your garden take time to appreciate what you ve achieved and plan new things for the coming year