Diary

We've kept a diary since we bought the vineyard and you can read any of the entries by selecting them below.

If you join our free mailing list you'll receive our latest diaries by email as soon as we finish writing them.

August to October 2005 - Harvest is good but business is tough

March to July 2005 - More medals and life goes on with Iain in England

February 2005 - First bottling and medals in Paris!

Dec 2004 & Jan 2005 - Barrels, trouble with rosé, the real business begins

November 2004 - Life returns to near normal

Sept and Oct 2004 - HARVEST.

August 2004 - Awful weather, lots of work and war with neighbours.

July 2004 - HAIL! Grapes start to ripen.

June 2004 - Loads in the vines. Winery build restarts. First visitors.

May 2004 - New vines, marathon watering activity. Winery work stopped.

April 2004 - Winery is started!. Ploughing, spraying and sorting out smells.

March 2004 - Jose's shock and the first big tractor job.

February 2004 - New posts, new tractor and snow!

January 2004 - Iain arrives full-time. Trellising, cellar & a very strange house.

December 2003 - Pruning. Soil analysis. Old shelves and missed flights.

November 2003 - 1 house sold. Winery pains. AOC mtg. News about Iain

27th October to 2nd November - Holiday: Andorra, Spain, South of France

20th October to 26th October - Offer on La Vitaille! Mad Dr. Bloody roses

13th October to 19th October - Pottering - begin decorating and gardening

6th October to 12th October - Auto dictee and testing the well water

30th September to 5th October - The girls do Bordeaux

22nd September to 29th September - Five visits to Bordeaux airport!

15th September to 21st September - Cabernet franc picked. Lerot menace.

8th September to 14th September - Quad bike. Septic tank emptied.

1st September to 7th September - Dad arrives and harvest begins.

25th August to 31st August - Caroline & Cathal. Kids watch "Life of Brian"

18th August to 24th August - Ten different visitors to stay!

11th August to 17th August - Pick up Pickup. Chris and Kuldip arrive

4th August to 10th August - Back to England for a break

28th July to 3rd August - Jen and Laurie work for their keep

21st July to 27th July - Pamprage panic. Jen and Laurie arrive

15th July to 20th July - Oh no, more pamprage to do!

30th June to 6th July - Visit Chateaux. Buy Pickup. Viv and Jess visit.

23rd June to 29th June - Car hunt. Plum picking. Jenny and Derec visit

16th June to 22nd June - Hot, Hot Hot and More tractor stuff.

9th June to 15th June - Winery planning, tractor? Iain for the weekend.

2nd June to 8th June - Pool disaster, vineyard help, Guinea Pig birthday

19th May to 23rd May - Wine growers get-together. Back to England.

12th May to 18th May - More Pamprage. Architect! Art deco house

5th May to 11th May - 'Pamprage' and another visit to the doctor

28th April to 4th May - VAT returns, England and snakes

21st April to 27th April - Pool Cleaning and Hot Air Ballons

14th April to 20th April - Finish decorating, Iain arrives for Easter

7th April to 13th April - Tom and decorating

31st March to 6th April - Finish tying down. Iain visits.

24th March to 30th March - Tying down. Grandad and Janet visit.

17th March to 23rd March - Beck school. J's birthday. Ben & Dan visit.

10th March to 16th March - We are owners! Trellising. I goes home.

3rd March to 9th March - Mice, tractors and begin vineyard work.

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