Decisions, decisions: harvest 2013

As I write, I can hear the scroscio of water falling. It is raining, as expected. There was a tromba d’aria this morning, a skirt-lifting blustery wind that has covered our driveway with fallen walnuts. This morning we had gentle rain accompanied by grumbling thunder and sheet lightening, and now heavier rain.We spent last week poring over the weather forecasts. Montalcino was full of nervy exchanges; in the school playground huddles of mothers asked each other; “Have you started?,” in the bank the teller prefaced his work with; “ancora niente?.” The subject of all this is the harvest, so obvious that it need not be specified. Many producers have started and will interrupt, a few (like us) have yet to start.We knew from last Tuesday that the weather forecast was for storms and rain today (check) and tomorrow. On Wednesday the sun is back for another week. Last week we decided that our grape skins were thick enough to withstand today’s rain and so we opted to wait. The weather will be the making of 2013. Watch this space.