The price of living amongst wildlife

Usually at this time of the year, we should be looking at clouds, watching the weather for the right time for the sugar level in the grapes to reach its optimum level.  We then organise the harvest, the timing of the wineries to accept our grapes, the transportation and ensuring the minimum of fermentation in the heat of the September sun.

This year, we had a new variable in the equation: Wildlife.

To our despair, we found that most of our grapes has been enjoyed by the wildboars and deers that live in our area. They too, have been hungry and thirsty in the August heat.

So it is with the greatest disappointment that the whole year's hard work in maintaining our vineyard to the top of its production has come to this.

No harvest this year.

Agriculture is a constant test of the spirit and soul.

I would say I am just going to drown in my sorrows but I am just a small producer, my heart goes out to those who have so much more to lose.

photo credit not mine. Our Maremma wild boars never get photo opportunities like these