For The Love Of Port

How about from now through the end of harvest we keep this thread alive with updates on weather reports about (and FROM) the Douro. In addition to our own investigating, it would be great if you folks who have direct knowledge would be willing to keep us apprised.

It would be most welcome to learn about when bud break takes place, how soon thereafter the flowering goes into effect, etc. So TO ALL PORT PRODUCERS ... we'd love your assistance!

I know there was a lot of rain in December and that is a very good sign, although not for the roads that have been damaged or the train tracks that were destroyed between Vargellas and Vesuvio. But the water tables had been running low the past few seasons and this was very helpful to replenish the moisture.

But I am not there in the Douro and can only rely on reports from our friends who are based in N. Portugal. Please do keep us in touch!

Muito obrigado e melhores cumprimentos.

It seems you're very well informed Roy! Good friends you have in the Douro.

I'll give you my version of these last weeks. It's definitively been a wet Winter. It rained almost every day of December. Temperatures were considerably low, as it has succeed in all around Europe. At home I heard someone saying that couldn't remember a so tough. And it was not my 2 years-old niece! Between October and January it rained 474mm close to S. Joao da Pesqueira, twice the long-term average, which is 289mm. Some landslides on the road, dams full and EDP (the electricity company) making good business out of this. And all this rain is also good for the vines, as the last Winter and Spring were drier than usual. Now the sun shines and temperatures move between -2º C and 14º C.

Oscar

Oscar, if the rain continues in the coming weeks, would that be harmful for the vines or is it still ok?

Ronald, sorry for my late answer. Rain is not a problem at this time of the year. It could be a problem if it rains too much during flowering, which could reduce the production. Or if it hails during the budbreak and shooting, damaging the vines. But we are still some weeks ahead of the budbreak. So far so good!

Temperatures remain low and last week it snowed again in the valley. It is the fourth time this year! Can't remember anything like this. Where is the global warming?!?

oscarquevedo wrote: Where is the global warming?!?

Didn't you hear it was all MADE UP

More snow, wow! I hope enough so you could ski down between the vines and have a little fun!

oscarquevedo wrote:Where is the global warming?!?

My wife once worked on the Climate Change Campaign of a major NGO. They called it that to point out that not everything is going to get warmer. But trying to explain to someone that there will be higher variability and more moisture in such-and-such region is hard in the world of soundbites and tweets.

Andy Velebil wrote:

oscarquevedo wrote: Where is the global warming?!?

Didn't you hear it was all MADE UP

More snow, wow! I hope enough so you could ski down between the vines and have a little fun!

Evidence manipulation !! who'd a thaught
" A rose is a rose is a rose " Gertrude Stein

Andy Velebil wrote:...MADE UP...

Wow! Was that ever a time-sink. British journalism can really hook you in, jumping from article to article.