sunsets, drought and 11 hours in a tractor

11 sept.
We have rain in the forecast every day for the next 2 weeks, so I ploughed (since i am closer to england now) the entire vineyard with 11 hours almost in the tractor yesterday. Makes one glad they invented hydrocortisone cream!
Unfortunately, the rain seems to be tracking south of us. The olives are in need of some acqua, not to mention all the other plants.
Having been up and down every row, I can say we have a nice crop of petit verdot and cabernet franc with lesser amounts of syrah, montepulciano, cab. sauv. and merlot. There isn't enough pecorino to talk about this year. Remember, the 2nd year is not one of major production, so we hope to make another hobby wine this year and maybe a passito.
The temperature is now very pleasant, although jumping in the pool is now a bit more bracing.
Our neighbor has harvested his pecorino and in the area, the farmers are doing likewise. Our target date is about the 20 of September when my friends, the Bowlins will be here visiting.
Mid October should be olive harvest time and rain would be really nice to have a couple of weeks or a month before to plump up the poor, dried olives 1st.
Divino in Vino is our Offida wine festival and I went to a tasting of older sangiovese and nebbiolo. It was a very nice degustation and I particularly like the barbaresco and an old sangiovese from 1997 from San Savino.
It has not been a good year for sunsets, but we finally got one the other night. Enjoy.