The season turns and cycles of vineyard work turn with it.  With the release of the first 2018 wines, we are looking ahead to a great 2019 vintage.

We will be wrapping up pruning next week.  Pruning is arguably the most crucial of all vineyard processes, as choices about which wood to remove or leave determines fruit set this year and into the future.

Pruning is also the most time-consuming, labor-intensive task of the year.  The human-power needed to prune over 300 acres of grapes is vast, and the work spans December to April.   This year the gift of a wet winter has slowed things down a little, with several days missed due to intense rains.

The abundance of water has been great for the growth of annual cover crops.  We use a mix of rye grass, triticale, bell beans and pea shoots (check out the post on foraging greens in the vineyard).  The cover crops help hold soil in place through  wet winter downpours, the roots provide food and habitat for soil life, flowers provide forage for pollinating insects and the bodies of the plants will return to the soil to continue to feed the soil food web.

Each handful of healthy soil can contain billions of vertebrates, invertebrates, fungi and bacteria – the myriad life forms that support all life on earth.  Grape vines cannot uptake vital nutrients and water on their own.  They depend on these smaller beings to process nutrients and make them bioavailable.  This robust yet delicate ecosystem is a universe beneath our feet, and as farmers we feel a duty to protect and enhance it.  Our organic practices are a stand against the poisoning of soils, waters, animals and people that is the result of widespread pesticide, fungicide and herbicide use.  Chemical agriculture weakens the precious web of life from the ground up.  

Refusing chemicals on the farm is more labor intensive, and with lush growth after such a wet winter we anticipate needing to work hard to combat mildew and fungus in the canopy of the grape vines.  Wire trellis systems throughout the vineyard allow us to pull canes up and away from the fruit to allow more air-flow around developing bunches of grapes.  In particularly lush sites we will also need to thin leaves by hand to ensure mildew and mold do not have a chance to set in.   

A busy season lies ahead!  Along with routine vineyard tasks we will be adding 16 new acres of Chardonnay vines at the Road D Ranch.  Vines have been ordered and plans for irrigation and layout are underway.  As always, we appreciate your support of our endeavors and your choice of organic wine, for the planet, the waters, our children, and your enjoyment.  Cheers!