This month we've been in the vineyards … the easy way and the hard way. First up, the easy way. Barbara and I joined 130 customers on a wine cruise to Corsica, Sardinia, Tuscany, Elba, Cinque Terre, Monaco and Provence. As chairman I HAVE to go! (Not that I am complaining!). It's not exactly the most arduous job, floating from vineyard to vineyard with Laithwaites customers floating happily along with us.
The 'Star Clipper' is the tallest ever 'Tall Ship' and, under full sail, simply gorgeous to behold. Especially gazing up from a deck chair as the mistral or Maltamme or something sends you scudding along. Lying there with a chilled glass of Vermentino in hand! You suspect it was not maybe like this in the days of sail. Joseph Conrad's books have few mentions of chilled wine or deck-chairs..
We met up with our wine producer friends in every port. Noisy tastings, but thorough! The unanimous consensus was that Mediterranean wines are now really, really good, exciting and well worth a look. The Vermentino's especially were a big hit. This clever grape copes with the blazing heat to produce delicious dry whites in a variety of regional styles.
Wine buffs talk about 'Old World' and 'New World' wines. But maybe its time everyone took a fresh look at the wines of the 'Ancient World'; where it all started 5000 years or so ago; all around the Mediterranean shores.
The first Cruise we ever did, with wine scribe Hugh Johnson along for the ride, was back in 1975! Great trip. Eastern Med. Hugh joined us again this time and we both agreed that the wines are so much better now!
There are new high-tech wineries. But they are not always necessary. Wandering around on Elba
wine syphoned straight from the cask with a piece of rubber tube was perfectly delicious sipping under the pergola with the ham, the cheese and the figs.
It was hot. And had been for months. The Merlot vineyard where we tasted with a whole bunch of Tuscans under an awning overlooking the sea in the Maremma district of southern Tuscany was all ready to harvest - and that was the first week in August! (Our Bordeaux Merlot is usually first week in October! )
Such a crazy year; back home in Oxfordshire, Barbara's grapes are still tiny, green and hard. We don't think there's much hope of them ripening...ever! But in Italy most places are at least a whole month ahead of normal.
On the subject of unusual weather, the team at our new Gloucester warehouse have had a bit of a time of it. Don't worry, no bottles floating away … we were out of reach of the floods, but we did end up having no water for a day or two! Several of our Gloucester lot did have flooded homes themselves. But still they came in to pack orders. Isn't that amazing? They are a great bunch! We put on a party in nice gardens for them. It poured, of course!
Next port of call: Bordeaux. The hard bit. Off to tend the vineyards. Can’t help feeling it should have been the other way round … Hugh and I found the most wonderful shed - or shanty - winery but the cold white-gold-green
Barbara and I have been here in Bordeaux where the weather, since we arrived, has been kind to us and our rather battered Bordeaux vines. They've had a wild ride here. Rain-sun-rain-sun. Poor things are confused.
We've been getting up early to 'green-harvest'. (Cutting surplus grapes off the vine so as to help the remainder ripen better). You need to do this work before the day gets too hot.
It still does your back in, but there is something very special about being up in the vineyard on top of the hill in the clear morning air. Mostly you're head down addressing the particular need of each vine. They are all so different this year. Some are black and ripe already. But many are still small, hard and green. This is going to be a 'challenging' year. But, starting now; green-harvesting, we can work wonders.
You have to think hard and really use your eyes in the tangles of grapes, stalks and leaves or you end up dropping the good bunches and leaving those which will never ripen. You have to understand how vines work, how the sap runs and what keeps things healthy. It’s slow work. But if we do it well we will create the ripeness levels of a very sunny year.
Of course any day now you'll see some kid-journalist who never touched a vine in his life announcing that 2007 is a bad year, a year to avoid. Ignore this. No year needs to be avoided if a) you avoid paying silly prices for famous names and b) if you know who the good winemakers are. They are the one's who work hardest.
Nominally we are on holiday here. But how can you not help out your vines when you are sitting in the middle of them? So most mornings we
go out with the secateurs. Our friends, staying with us, are resigned to it and turn out too. (Except those who come up with excuses like 'dodgy mussel last night!')
Its a slog but every now and then you can look up, listen to the birdsong, and admire the rolling expanse of immaculate vineyards stretching along the ridge to the far outline of the great water tower of Saint-Emilion and then right across the valley to the Entre-Deux-Mers.
Dotted about, the little honey stone houses and the sturdy church towers, bells clearly marking the hour - all at different times. The other sound is the unmistakeable rattle of the old 'Micheline' Dordogne valley railway. On time.
Forty-Two years now, I have been coming to this village. Then there were two cars and one tractor. Everyone wore clogs, 'blue de travail', floral housecoats or widow's black. I remember standing in this very vineyard in my first year because it gave the best view of the towering thunderclouds heading up the valley from the coast towards us -like huge sailing ships - bearing hailstones that could strip a vineyard back to bare wood in seconds.
And as they went I could see the smoke trails of the rockets that every grower would fire into them to disrupt the ice-making updrafts for long enough for the hail not to fall until a minute or two later - on the neighbour's vineyard! Science or superstition? Or puny, helpless man venting his anger at forces incomprehensibly greater than he? Don't know. But some still have their rockets.
I love it here in 'my' Sainte Colombe with a passion. I love my vines. But Ouch! my poor old back.
We have, after seven years thinking about it, now increased the vineyard area of our precious Chateau La Clariere Laithwaite by adding to it the vineyards around our house at Le Bourg, the fruit of which we previously kept separate.
The first vintage of this marriage is 2005. This is therefore the first vintage which will make an appearance in our price-list (November list). It never appeared on the List previously because the entire harvest was always reserved in advance for Les Confreres; those devoted supporters of the estate who signed up, long ago for a case every year. They will still get their cases. But it will also be nice, at last to see my wine on our List. Do watch out for it.
Just about everyone here is on holidays until next week. Then they'll all return and there will be a screaming mad rush preparing for the first grapes (the white wine grapes) which are already almost ripe.
Yes, the Wine Year is about to begin again. My 43rd. And as every year, a whole new, fresh chapter will open. It keeps you young.
This month we've been in the vineyards … the easy way and the hard way. First up, the easy way. Barbara and I joined 130 customers on a wine cruise to Corsica, Sardinia, Tuscany, Elba, Cinque Terre, Monaco and Provence. As chairman I HAVE to go! (Not that I am complaining!). It's not exactly the most arduous job, floating from vineyard to vineyard with Laithwaites customers floating happily along with us. 
wine syphoned straight from the cask with a piece of rubber tube was perfectly delicious sipping under the pergola with the ham, the cheese and the figs. 
On the subject of unusual weather, the team at our new Gloucester warehouse have had a bit of a time of it. Don't worry, no bottles floating away … we were out of reach of the floods, but we did end up having no water for a day or two! Several of our Gloucester lot did have flooded homes themselves. But still they came in to pack orders. Isn't that amazing? They are a great bunch! We put on a party in nice gardens for them. It poured, of course! 
