I just got back to my desk after checking the vineyard and the wind is blowing as I hard as I can ever remember. And I’ve lived here all my life! While spring is a fabulous time to be in the vineyard, with new shoot growth of green and pink, it is also the time of year when the wind can blow incessantly, especially after rain. It once again reminds me how appreciative I am of our vineyard crew and how hard they work even on days such as this.Well, the vines are truly growing now and I
believe that we will probably have our first application of organic sulfur (mildew prevention) on by the third week in May. It is also going to be a year where a great deal of hand work will need to take place. In fact we will probably start this process tomorrow if the weather is better. Shoot positioning, leaf stripping, lateral removal and finally cluster thinning is all part of the seasonal process leading to perfect physiological vine and grape maturity. The flavor of grapes grown this way is superb; complex, purity of fruit and with vine age, minerals. One bottle of wine per vine is our reward and yours.
Here’s to a great 2009 vintage!Rick
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