As I mentioned in the [original] Asylum (I love the sound of that), I think it would be great to have various vintage/harvest threads, especially if we can get many of our friends from Facebook to participate and represent their region. As you can see from the “Vintages in CA” thread already, weather conditions are sometimes vastly different in the North Coast than they are in the Central Coast, and we’re only 5-7 hours apart! Also, the soils are radically different and react to drainage/drought challenges differently.
Perhaps someone else can start a Napa/Sonoma thread, a Santa Cruz thread, WA, OR, etc. I know I would love to follow such threads, esp. WA, Finger Lakes (Zucc?), and Spain …
To start …
Our fall and early winter vacillated between warm, springlike weather which encouraged the cover crop, and crisp, cold, dry weather which is hard on the tender cover crop. The dry weather made it easier to get the vineyard to cut canes and clear the vineyard in anticipation of pruning, but we really need water.
This last week we were projected to have a week of rain, but it was only about 3 days of soft rain, not the downpour we were hoping for. Last night it was getting cold again, and now there’s no rain on the horizon for another 10 days.
Raining steadily with periodic downpours. A little chilly, which is good for prolonging budbreak. I love this kind of precipitation because we are on a hilltop and fierce storms bring too much wind for comfort–high winds have ripped our front screen doors right off and caused the patio furniture to go tumbling down the hill. This is a steady, comforting, cozy rain. Perfect. Although Dan is hoping for a brief, intense downpour so we can check the efficiency of the new French drain we installed in front of the winery. I’ll check the rain gauge every 2 days …
We’re only about 1400’. Looking southward from our hilltop we can see the Irish Hills Range. They were covered with snow this morning, very pretty! It looks like it’s gone now. Our snow flurry lasted less than half and hour and didn’t stick. I think the IHR got more early morning snow than we did.
Sorry, brain fart!! We were looking over Santa Rita Creek Road (an area that locals call “Santa Rita”), and when I was typing my fingers were so cold from just coming inside I guess I wasn’t paying attention to what I was typing. The range to the south of us is actually the Irish Hills Range, with the the Santa Lucias to the west. On clear evenings we can see as far south as Lopez Mountain and the Cuesta Grade.
2/13 update: another inch. Total since 10/1/08: 6 inches
All we got at the winery were semi-frozen raindrops, but Josh comes in from Morrow Bay on Old Creek rd, and he said it was snowing there a good deal of the way in.
A couple of stormy days and nights, with occasional downpours, but mostly wind, with some lightning and thunder. Tree branches all over the lawn, orchard and road.
Another 2.25" in the rain gauge this morning.
Total since 10/1/08: 8.25"
THE MAIN AXIS OF MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT TO THE SOUTH AND EAST SUNDAY NIGHT WITH THE BULK OF PRECIPITATION OCCURRING FROM THE BAY AREA SOUTHWARD. AREAS THAT WILL SEE THE HEAVIEST RAIN SUNDAY NIGHT WILL BE MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHWEST-FACING SLOPES OF THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGES… INCLUDING THE SANTA CRUZ AND SANTA LUCIA MOUNTAINS.
I believe that I (and our power outtage at home) can attest to the truth of this statement. Another weekend of rain, but not nearly as much as the previous, when we had 4" in 24 hours at our mountain vineyards.
Not much rain down in the Santa Ynez Valley - a touch but not much. It is a much warmer storm, though - my windshield was not iced over when I went out to my car this morning!
Another few days of gentle downpours and spritz. The rain gauge was at 1.75".
Total since 10/1/08: 10"
Getting better!
Pictures of the cover crop and a report on CA drought conditions are on our blog (click link below).
Last Saturday night I heard the patter of soft rain, but in the morning, the gauge held a scant, not quite 1/2". Total rains for the year = 10.5". And I think this may be it, unless we get a few showers in April …
A shot of the cover crop in the zin before pruning began …
And a shot of the vetch/mustard in the walnut orchard …
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