Herbs against the Flies

Dear grapelovers,

The grapes are now ripening nicely and have already gotten their final color. The sugar content of the grapes is rising and this sweetness is a magnet for various insects and animals. Now we need to protect our grapes - and that without using toxic chemicals. We will start the harvest in a few days and then the grapes need to be perfectly clean.

I suspect that this year the toughest antagonist will be the Drosophila Suzukii (D. Kirschessigfliege). Many cherries were burst during the rainy period in June and that caused an explosive growth in the population of this fly. It lays its eggs in the red grapes when they are ripe for the picking and she brings with it bacteria that can cause the wine to turn to vinegar.

Researchers have done some experiments on keeping this fly away by using tea extracts of kitchen herbs. The essential oils from these herbs are of course not a problem for human consumption. This year we made a potent tea out of mint and sage to spray on our red grapes. By the time we harvest the grapes, the aromas from the essential oils will be mostly gone. This will therefore not have any impact on the wine.

We will start harvesting in two weeks time. In case someone would like to join us for the harvest, please send me an email. Like last year, we offer our helpers credit of 25 Fr. towards wine for each hour of work.

All the best, Hoss