For The Love Of Port

After a few years in a row with lower water tables, things are getting serious.

I received this notice from Paul Symington:

"On another matter, this drought is getting really serious, just 9mm in January at Bomfim (average 104mm), 38mm in December (average 103 mm) and so far this month it has hardly rained."

Hopefully it will be a wet spring which would replenish the ground water and prepare the vineyards for summer's heat, although not great for flowering and bud burst to have too much moisture, to avoid oidium and mildew.

I had a similar email from the Douro a few days ago. It doesn't sound good for the growing season ahead!

Didn't 2011 start out like this too, though?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Yes I too got similar not so good news recently...lets all start doing the Douro Rain Dance.

Andy Velebil wrote:Yes I too got similar not so good news recently...lets all start doing the Douro Rain Dance.

Andy,

If the "Douro Rain Dance" involves drinking plenty of Port I'm already doing my part

Lamont Huxley wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:Yes I too got similar not so good news recently...lets all start doing the Douro Rain Dance.

Andy,

If the "Douro Rain Dance" involves drinking plenty of Port I'm already doing my part

Yes, one must drink a pipe of Port* then stumble into the vineyard whilst singing and chanting to the stars.

*given the whole temperance thing (aka: your Significant Other who gets mad when you run off to the Douro to drink a pipe of Port) drinking 1/2 a pipe is also allowed.

Andy uses a straw!

Roy Hersh wrote:Andy uses a straw!

and it has a filter on the end so when I get to the bottom of the Pipe I don't suck up the lees.

Andy Velebil wrote:

Roy Hersh wrote:Andy uses a straw!

and it has a filter on the end so when I get to the bottom of the Pipe I don't suck up the lees.

From which the takeaway is that Andy prefers his Port filtered.

The problem is not confined to Portugal. In southern England, ground water levels are lower than they were at this time in 1976 - the year of the great drought. If it doesn't rain heavily over the next two months, we have a major problem on our hands.

At Cambridge, where I built a new cellar last year, the rainfall for the year was little more than half the long term average.

I equipped the cellar with a drainage system to prevent ground water accumulating against the outside of the walls, with a deep 1000L sump equipped with a pump to remove that which seeped down.

It was impossible to calculate accurately how much water would actually find it's way down, and whether or not a backup pumping system should be installed, so we watched and waited for the first drips to appear, which I expected in early November when the topsoil normally reaches its 'field capacity' and water starts to seep down.

Now, at the end of February, the latest checks shows the sump to still be bone dry, suggesting that the winter's rainfall has yet to saturate the topsoil, and start replenishing the groundwater..

Update:

According to Accuweather, Vila Real has had just 0.36" (9mm) of rain so far this month, with none expected today.

The various forecasts are not in agreement over the next few days, but some light showers seem likely. No sign of a good soaking however...

I think we would have happily donated some of our rainfall for the past couple of days... and that was supposed to be the last days of summer for us. A mate of mine on a farm north of Melbourne had 80mm overnight 2 days ago. It was wet last year too, but before that we had a drought for 10 years. I hope they don't have to wait as long for rain as we did

raining in Lisbon as I type, forecasts say tomorrow / Saturday there will be some rain in the Douro

Daniel R. wrote:raining in Lisbon as I type, forecasts say tomorrow / Saturday there will be some rain in the Douro

Hopefully it's a good amount (but not all at one time, as that would be bad as well)

Vila Real had two thirds of an inch (17mm) of rain over the weekend, which will have been helpul if repeated across the Douro. The forecasts, however, are not showing any significant rain for the forseeable future.

Meanwhile Spain has reported its driest winter in 70 years, and is already suffering brush fires..

Since last weekend the Douro has enjoyed some fine spring weather, but no further rain. Nor is any forecast for the next week although the longer range forecasts think there may be some on the 18th/19th.

Portugal is drying out, as can be seen from the Meteo's fire risk map:

http://www.meteo.pt/pt/ambiente/risco_incendio/

At this time year the fire risk is normally at it's lowest rating right across the country.

Looks like Sao Joao da Pesqueira is getting some rain right now (at least from the current online weather info). With the forecast for a little more rain possible this weekend. I hope that is the case, the Douro needs it bad right now.

There is a forecast for a little rain over the next 48hrs, with 10mm predicted.

Much of that, I fear, will only serve to lay the dust and then evaporate off without penetrating. The forecast for next week is for near cloudless skies.

The 15 day forecast is indicating some more substantive rain near the end of the month, but forecasts beyond ten days are notoriously unreliable.

Still, here's hoping!

Tom Archer wrote:
Still, here's hoping!

Amen, if they don't get rain soon it's going to be a long dry summer. Most likely full of wild fires and shriveled grapes. Lets all pray for rain

From correspondence received, and the current forecests, it looks increasingly likely that March will prove to be yet another month with below average rainfall, with perhaps half to two thirds of the average 2" (51mm) precipitation.

There is some rain predicted on the last leg of the fifteen day forecast, but so far this year these longer range predictions have had a tendency to wither away as the date draws closer.

All eyes must now be on April to generate some sweet (and prolonged) spring showers..

I shall be driving down in the middle of next month, and hope very much to have need of an umbrella!