Weather data at the vineyard

Another frosty morning...

Paul did his weather data last night.
We had 705 mm of rain last year.
Our average is 775 mm. It is 10 years now that he is recording.
The driest year was 99 with 570 mm.
We had the most rain in 03, 882 mm.
Average rainy days are 80.
Average sunny days are 210. This differs significantly from normal weather bureau data because Paul counts when the Sun is actually shining :-)) even if there are some puffy clouds in the sky passing in front of it. If it's not fully overcast our grapes are smiling. So are we. On 210 days a year... :-)) AND on the 80 rainy ones also because they need that too :-)))
Dover is at Latitude 43 18, for viticulture data we look at Christchurch, New Zealand, because it is the most comparable with Lat. 43 32. It is true cool climate. With 1000 C Degree days,
LTI of 274, Heat index of 3320. (data, courtesy of Peter Salonius)

Finished pruning the Pinot Gris-s in block 3. Run out of the little ties I'm using to secure the canes to the grow wire but no problem, the Primadonnas (Gewürztraminer) will be only cut but not tied until Paul installs the second grow wires for these.
We call them Primadonnas because they are soooo temperamental...for two years they had nothing on them! Zilch! We've changed the pruning and their training method and last year -at least- we managed to pick some. Boy, isn't the wine absolutely beautiful?!?!?! Not ready yet but even at this stage jumps out of the glass :-))) In your face, fills your senses...if you close your eyes you are transported to a tropical island...flowers...sun...sand...Vivaldi playing in the background....:-)))
They are so difficult to manage that some growers in Tassie had thrown them out. They were told if they don't behave themselves they'll end up over-grafted with some less recalcitrant species! They can bust themselves sucking up all the goodies from the soil but their fruit will be a bastard! Ha-Ha-Ha....(this is an EVIL laugh here :-))) )

I don't want to talk about the Australia Post saga...:-((( it goes on and on..and on...for weeks now. I'm sad, mad, hopeful and angry at various stages...well, I just should get used to it! We chose to live on an island. After 10 years I still can't figure it out if this is typical of ALL islands or just Tasmania????....

Ohhh, I nearly forgot Timur :-))
Being winter he doesn't have much to do...curls up with friends next to the fire...
...here with Pavarotti
and so engrossed in summer dreams that he doesn't mind ashes from the fire dusting his chin...