Maybe it was a good thing that a fallen tree took out the phone line. Boy, has the wind been whistling in recent days, and the temperature at dawn has suddenly dropped way below t-shirt and shorts tolerance. Being without phone or internet took our eye off the wider world and meant we could focus on our real world. Like gathering almonds, bottling last year's wine, picking up walnuts, pressing unripe grapes for juice, planting winter veg .... and proof reading the new book, Shaking The Tree (publication date December 1, more news anon). Under the watchful eyes of professional enologists Jose and Sandra we think our 2009 vintage is our finest - fruity, balanced and without a hint of contamination. Not that is a big deal; 425 litres in all from our little vineyards, combined with that of friends and neighbours Marta and Benet. Wine buffs will want to know it is a blend of 60 per cent carinyena and 40 per cent garanche. It means we have enough to share with visitors through the year and to use for the bottling of fruits - plus the barn is almost clear now for us to start picking and processing the grenache (garnaxta in Catalan) next week. We haven't treated the grapes with either sulphur or copper sulphate, but it still looks like we have a significant amount of fruit that is free of problems. We will know for sure very soon. A short post, but will be back online in next couple of days .... possibly with another of Maggie's recipes. Pears in red wine maybe. Please note, though, that another 700 litres of yummy olive oil has just been bottled and shipped to England, for delivery early in October. We are taking orders now, so get in touch. We can deliver to anywhere in mainland Britain.