Wine Diary
Not everyone likes it hot!
This prolonged heatwave also represents an exceptional situation for the Kamptal vineyards: over the last four weeks, we have recorded a daily average temperature of 21,3. This is approximately 4 degrees above the averages for the decades prior to the turn of the millennium.
In fact, most ‘mature’ vines cope well with dry spells. Their roots reach deep into the soil to ensure a steady supply of water. Young vines and varieties that are adapted to the dry, cool Kamptal climate – and which often thrive on poor paragneiss soils – need support during their early years or in times of extreme drought.
Foliage management must, wherever possible, be adapted to the climate. For example, when pruning, we leave more leaves above the grapes to provide shade. The LYRA training system offers an advantage here.
Rolling the ground cover in May was helpful, as was removing weeds around the vines and pruning away unnecessary shoots from the trunk and the side shoots; but now even the old vines are parched. The water from the water cooperative’s well enables us to use drip irrigation to reduce stress. Water cooperatives were established as early as the 1990s to ensure a fair sharing of the costs and the permitted water allocation.
