It's looking like harvest will start next week with Sauvignon Blanc. The vines are healthy. Too healthy in some cases. The rains and heat of August have stimulated excessive and exuberant vine growth. This is not desirable. The vines should be focusing on ripening grapes, not producing new leaves. In an attempt to slow them down we have taken a page from our winemaking philosophy of doing nothing. I'll explain.
Read MoreToday was our first day for grape sampling and lab tests. Vintage 2026 is now being analyzed, examined, and scrutinized. In the morning samples of grapes from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay were methodically taken: ten grapes from 15 vines of each variety.
Read MoreRabbitfoot clover is the final native cover crop to spread under the vines. It is flowering now.
Read MoreLast week's heat wave was crippling for the winegrowers, but the vines fared well. Rains from a few weeks ago provided adequate soil moisture, so the vines were not stressed. However we did see a bit of sunburn on some of the exposed clusters as a result of unrelenting solar intensity and temperatures climbing into the 90°s F. This is something never seen before here at Hardscrabble. I selected this mountain site in 1983 to take advantage of the cooling elevation. But that was then and this is now.
Read MoreClovers are now in full bloom under the vines. Red clover is lush and vigorous.
Read MoreThe vines are finally taking off. Late May rains combined with June sun and heat have provided ample fuel for rapid shoot growth. Vineyard activity is at peak. All hands on deck. Start times have shifted to 6:00am.
Read MoreFinally a weather break. We’ve had ideal conditions for flowering over the past 10 days: hot and dry.
Read MoreBlack Medic is my favorite native cover crop. I only really noticed it ten years ago when its abundant but tiny yellow flowers were in full bloom.
Read MoreOne beauty of wine is vintage variation. Every year’s bottling is different because of the weather. For the winegrower each growing season also has a rhythm.
Read MoreWe are shoot thinning in earnest right now. Our eyes are focused on the low growing trunks and canes. Looking down all day, we are especially appreciative of the often overlooked.
Read MoreCatchweed bedstraw is not super prevalent at Hardscrabble Vineyard. In some instances it does get a bit too tall for my liking. It barely qualifies to be included in my list of desirable native cover crops.
Read MoreTypicity is my favorite wine tasting word. A wine can be typical of the grape (aka varietal character), but it is most satisfying when it is an expression of place. I always search for typicity when blind tasting. Certain aroma markers can trigger an unmistakable terroir. A crystalline mineral acidity makes a connection.
Read MoreChickweed is one of my favorites. It germinates in late March, grows profusely in April, then browns and dies in early May leaving a natural dense mulch under the vines.
Read MoreDeadnettle is the first of a season long sequence of native cover crops at Hardscrabble Vineyard. Emerging in early March, it is delicate with tiny purple flowers.
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