Vineyard and Winery / A Year in the Vineyard
BUDBREAK TO BLOOM
Spring: March, April May
Buds on the pruned canes swell, finally unfurling into leaves, tendrils, and clusters. Bluebirds and swallows nest in the birdhouses. In between the grape rows, the thick cover crop mix shoots up, bursting into bloom and reaching 3 feet before we cut and work it into the soil. Wildflower rows are left to go to seed, attracting beneficial insects as long as possible.
BLOOM TO VERAISON
Summer: June, July, August
Each tiny white blossom on the cluster is a potential grape. The number pollinated determines how tightly packed the clusters will be. If it is warm and sunny, bloom goes quickly. After bloom we have a better idea of crop size and how much we will have to thin it back to achieve the intensity of flavor we want.
June and July focus on managing the vine canopy securing the shoots to the trellis so they don't flop into the row and break, hedging the tops of the vines as they bend over into the row, and pulling leaves from each vine along the fruiting area. These keep the canopy open to sunlight and air movement and free of disease.
By late August the Pinot Noir clusters have turned color, berry by berry, until they are totally purple, telling us it's time to start sampling the grapes for sugar level and maturity. This color change is called veraison.
HARVEST
Autumn: September, October, November
This is the most critical time of the vineyard year. Episodic weather is the norm-occasional days of sun interspersed with bouts of rain. Each section of the vineyard ripens differently and our challenge is to second-guess the weather, knowing we have only one chance to bring the crop in at the optimal moment. During fall we plant a cover crop mix that will prevent erosion during the winter rains, enrich the soil, and attract beneficial insects next spring.
DORMANCY
Winter: December, January, February
After the fruit is off, the vines pull their energy back into their roots, then slowly turn yellow and lose their leaves, going dormant until spring. We spread our aged compost down the vineyard rows and build new compost piles to be used the following fall. The vineyard rests until the crew starts pruning in late January. Each vine is cut back to two fruiting canes. When pruning is finished, we're ready for the new vineyard year to begin.
