Last week, nature let us understand with its overwhelming force how small and insignificant we are: In the evening of 10th July, a violent hailstorm ravaged nearly all vineyards on Dealul Olt in Drăgăşani, destroying within 10 minutes our whole work of this year – and even more.
The grapes in all our vineyards, so far developed well, looking healthy and nice, were nearly completely destroyed by the hail bombardment. Leaves and branches were damaged heavily as well, affecting photosynthesis and the ripening process. We don’t know if we will be able to obtain grapes from these vines even in 2015.
We have to accept this signal given by nature –like an organ point in a piece of classic music, forming a final point, followed by a moment of complete silence, but followed as well by a new beginning.
We will start again the works in the vineyards with even more care, like in the emergency room of a hospital, full of injured, which need much more care than the healthies. We release the vines of the destroyed grapes, leaving only the healthier, less affected ones. We put all our efforts and knowledge in performingall treatments needed by the vines and sustaining healing of the branches’ wounds until lemnification in autumn.
Thanks to the decent crop of 2013, we have so far enough wine in stock, in order to assure availability of all our range until early next year. But then some wines will run out of stock, without any 2014 vintage available. We do our best to delay this moment as much as possible, reserving our stock for existing customers, and limiting strictly allocations for new customers. By this, we hope to be able to honour in the best possible way long-term loyalty of all friends of Prince Ştirbey wines.
18.07.2014 / Jakob & Ileana Kripp