They did a good job, not all look this good. I hope to get a little bit of fruit off it this year for another rose or unoaked PN.
Pruned with my A team today in a 3 year old Robert Young Chard field. As you know this is one of the pivotal years for a young field. We’re really not thinking about cropload this year, it’s more about structure and setting the vine up for the next couple of years. There will be crop this year but we’re using it to tame the vigor of these rambunctious vines. More production oriented growers would use this year to start the payback for the investment. We look at the longer view of building the foundation for the future.
Of all the bullshit aspects of my job, this is one of my favorite things. Shaping vines for the future.
Oh I did sell 25 tons of pinot today too!
Prune, prune and more pruning. Not liking this warm weather.
Weeping backyard Cabernet vine
Happy to see that even with the warm weekend things are still pretty tight. It’s gotta be the moisture in the ground. Wish we’d get more rain soon. 18 people on the payroll now.
Waiting on the first reports of bud break - can’t be too long at this point
Cover crop rows getting a little high.
How are you training the new vines, Casey?
Hey Nate. Pretty standard VSP 34" high first wire. Cane pruned. FWIW we’re removing lots of renewal spurs on cane pruned vines of all varieties to create a cleaner head.
And even higher in other fields!
Casey, time to mow and keep the water in the ground?
Warm days cold beautiful nights. Earliest bud break we have had was March 5th, last year 15th. If my go to weather nerds are right, 50%+ chance no significant rain in February we may be out early this year. No measureable rain for at least 12-14 days. Unfortunately high pressure ridges have way higher confidence than when low pressures are moving thru.
Hope for miracle March!
I’m not mowing cover yet. I AM mowing the no-till rows now. We’re going to get more rain at some point. Also my bell beans aren’t even starting to bloom yet.
Posting for Merrill:
Thanks, Andy.
As you can see, the warm weather after earlier rains has shot up that cover crop! No pink flowers yet on the sweet pea, and no white flowers yet on the favas. No sign of buds getting ready. Just enjoying the color and the beauty of the view beyond.
Alpha Omega just posted that they had bud break on the Chardonnay vineyard they have on Mt Veeder.
We had a forecast for a large windstorm that was supposed to start at 10:00 this morning. Instead, it has just kicked up at about 1:00. Not fierce yet, and it is daylight, but for those of us who weathered that, we know that it led into the storm on October 8, 2017, the worst windstorm in memory…which led into the Tubbs fire that hurt so many of us - physically and emotionally.
WOW - Alpha Omega just posted on Facebook they have budbreak in Chardonnay at Drew Vineyard on Mt. Veeder.
I’m SO not shocked at that news. I built the first fire in our wood stove in over 2 weeks tonight just for the heck of it. It was too warm over the past couple of weeks. Nighttime temps above the valley floor have been crazy warm. I’ve been sleeping with a couple of windows open as if it was May. Drive to Santa Rosa today and lots of crews pruning on a Saturday. Lots of frost water ponds not very full.
Hm. Indeed the gut says it has been a warmer winter, more in the vein of 2014/2015. We’re considering some winter irrigation. However, what I’m seeing is pretty tight buds, albeit lots of bleeding. My rose bushes are still tight as well and they tend to come out a couple weeks before the vines. Budbreak doesn’t appear imminent in any vineyards I work with, although if the pattern keeps up, it can’t be that far off, either.
Lots of swollen buds as we prune 2013 planted pinot. My guess is 3+ more weeks of pruning left to do. Glad that it’s gotten colder. Will be testing frost systems within two weeks time. One more quick trip to see my Mom in Arizona and then full duty for frost season and beyond.