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Yesterday presented ideal bush pile burning conditions. It had been many weeks since our last rain, so the stacked branches were easily ignited. An all-day rain was about to settle in and the winds were calm. No chance of the fire escaping its boundaries. So burning in the rain was the task of the morning. Most of my time is spent watching. Just in case. Watching flames lick the sky is eventful (these were very large piles), but I had to seek nearby shelter from the cold rain.

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third of a four-part series: 1987

Changes in winegrowing and winemaking evolved thoughtfully and intentionally. But marketing and sales were much more reactionary. There were no established paths to follow for new, small regional wineries. Initially we weren’t even sure who we were marketing to.

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second of a four-part series: 1987

1987 was Linden’s first vintage. There was a lot of pressure to make a great wine right out of the starting gate. Big powerful wines were garnering accolades and high Parker points.  New technologies and scientific analysis were driving American winemaking. I was not immune to the trends of the day. The path of numbers-driven, interventionist, aspirational winemaking was my initial approach.

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First of a four-part series: 1987

1987 was Linden's first vintage. Over the next couple of weeks I'll write about the most significant changes and improvements that have impacted wine quality. I'll also write about forty years of changes to the cellar, sales and marketing, and the business side of the operation since we started in 1985.

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Barrel Conundrum

The cellar is now quiet. Fermentations are mostly complete, and all the new wine is in barrel. This year’s yields were down by almost 50%. This presents a unique problem that impacts both last year’s and next year’s wines.

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Nuts

Harvest is slow to start this year. One more week before the Sauvignon Blanc is ready to pick. This gives us some bonus time to work on equipment and tweak the vineyard. Waiting also gives us time to do nothing. This beautiful weather has allowed for some quality porch time allowing me to observe and to think about nothing.

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Late Harvest?

It looks like it will be a late start to vintage 2025. Veraison (color change) in red wine grapes was only slightly later than average, but yesterday we ran our first lab tests on Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

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Véraison

Véraison is one of the many French words adopted by English speaking winegrowers. It refers to the change of color in red grapes and the beginning of the all-important ripening stage. This is the only time that we can see ripeness.

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Hot and Humid

Hot and humid with a chance of thunderstorms.

Hot and humid with a chance of thunderstorms.

Hot and humid with a chance of thunderstorms.

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Heat Wave

Back in the days before air conditioning much of Washington DC escaped the heat and temporarily settled here in these mountains. Families would stay the entire summer at boarding houses or any place that had an extra room or two.  The men (this was back in the day) would come and go by train each weekend.

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Vineyard Update

This is a very active week in the vines. Next week’s ominous forecast of dangerously high temperatures means that vineyard work will be limited to only the cooler mornings. We’re trying to get ahead of the game this week. And we are. Petit Manseng is the last block remaining for fruit zone aeration. It will be done this week. Then all hands will continue to tie and shoot position.

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Vintage 2025: Back to Normal?

 In the last 30 days we have received 8” of rain.  Typically we would expect about 3”. For most growing seasons this would be cause for concern, but after two drought years we’ll take anything we can get.

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Cool

Cooler than average temperatures have slowed vine development. Shoot growth is not quite as exuberant as is typical for this time of year. This is actually a relief as keeping up with shoot positioning and tying can be challenging.

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Not Quite Right

The vines are off and running. In April new growth comes from last season’s stored carbohydrates. But by late May the roots have taken over as the engine fueling exuberant shoot growth. In early May we observed some unusual developments as shoots began to form. Many buds did not push. Some shoots seemed stunted. This delayed development has been especially evident in Merlot, Petit Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc. 

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