April’s weather

So we have just experienced the warmest April on record. Fully 4ºC above average and with a mean daytime maximum temperature equal to that of August 2006 (21.8ºC). Unbelievably the vines are about 4 weeks ahead of their normal stage at this time of year. The rate of growth has been so rapid that everyone here is swamped by vineyard work that all needed done yesterday, and I am no exception. Thankfully May is starting off rather cool which should allow us to more or less catch up before flowering.