Hailstorm on the Day of the Grape Harvest

Three times between September 16th and 22nd, we went to the vineyard to harvest our grapes. On the third occasion, we experienced a hailstorm unlike anything we had ever seen.

What a crazy wine year 2023! After our vines were unaffected by any fungal diseases during the excessively wet early summer, our vineyard subsequently flourished, both quantitatively and qualitatively. For a long time, everything pointed towards a bountiful harvest until one evening in August, a hailstorm destroyed around 70% of our grapes within minutes.

Fortunately, the hail did not rage across the entire vineyard. Thus, some grapes of considerable quality still remained. Nevertheless, the frustration was deep. Only two days before the hail, we had carried out plant protection measures and mowed the grass.

Grape Harvest in Splendid Weather

A few weeks later, we were already preparing for the grape harvest and started it on September 16th in beautiful weather, early in the morning at 07:00. We harvested 1,400 kg of Kisi and 900 kg of Rkatsiteli, both varieties from which we produce dry amber and orange wines respectively.

After distributing the grapes into wooden crates, we sort out the bad grapes and leaves.

The Second Day Also Begins Beautifully

The following day greeted us with equally beautiful weather. In addition to the 20 harvesters from the village, ten friends and acquaintances from Tbilisi joined us – an international team with people from eight different countries. After the almost three tons of Saperavi grapes were harvested, we drove to Eniseli in front of our wine cellar and began pressing.

A Hailstorm Causes Devastation

The electric press, which automatically sorted out the stems, quit working after about an hour. Just as it was repaired another 1.5 hours later, clouds gathered and it started to drizzle. We covered the grapes with a tarp and wanted to continue. But the harmless drizzle developed into a massive hailstorm within a minute.

Hailstones of 2-3 cm diameter transformed the garden into a winter landscape, the temperature dropped by at least 15 degrees, the trees were leafless within minutes. We, two neighbors, two friends from Tbilisi, and I, had to seek safety.

Working in the Dark Until 3 AM

When the storm subsided, it was not only dark, but the entire village was without power. So we got Vanos' old hand press. But since it doesn't fit our clay amphorae and stainless steel tanks, we had to press everything by hand into a special, wide stainless steel barrel and from there distribute it with 20-liter plastic buckets to the fermentation tanks and clay amphorae, illuminated by smartphone lights, which gradually also went out.

At 11:00 PM, Alika had the great idea to drink a Chacha during every break. By 03:00 AM, we were finished. Completely exhausted.