There is a small Magnolia tree on the south side of Linden’s old barn. It began blooming yesterday. This Magnolia is one of many indicator plants on the farm. Every year I dutifully record the first bloom of crocus, daffodil, forsythia, henbit, and peach.
Read MoreWarm weather instills a greater sense of immediacy in our pruning. When a pruning cut is made, the sap flows prolifically. While this is normal, it seems more pronounced than usual. American winegrowers refer to this as vine bleeding. The French call it crying. I won’t comment on perceived cultural biases.
Read MorePruning season is in full swing. It is the perfect time to evaluate and scrutinize vine performance. It takes about 50 hours to prune one acre of grapevines. We become intimate with the vines. We make plans for vintage 2020.
Read MoreBlending decisions have been made on paper. Next task is to physically make the blends in the cellar. Timing is weather dependent, as we don’t want to be wasting nice pruning days doing cellar work. We wait for a string of inclement weather days to do the actual blending work. This happened last week.
Read MoreOver the past two weeks we have been methodically tasting and narrowing down the blends of the three single vineyard wines: Boisseau, Avenius and then Hardscrabble. Earlier in January we tasted and made notes on each individual barrel. Now we start, just as a chef assembles ingredients without a recipe. Over the years we have developed a methodical approach to blending. Otherwise there would be chaos.
Read MoreEvery January we begin the process of determining the best blend for each of Linden’s red wines. In this case, the 2019 vintage. We are a bit rusty this year, as we did not do this last January. We produced no red wines in 2018 due to weather. Conversely, this year we have lots of good material to work with.
Read MoreHow long does a grapevine last? This frequently asked question is a good one, but one without a good answer. You see, it depends.
Read MoreThe first day of pruning generates both reverence and excitement. It is the beginning of the new growing season. Each pruning cut contributes to the many decisions that will impact the 2020 vintage.
Read MoreThis week we tasted the 2019 wines from barrel in the cellar. This is not the most ideal setting as it is better to draw the wines in the morning and then taste them at correct temperature in the library where in fact, we are also warm. But tasting in the cellar is faster and can give us a good overview of what to expect as the wines settle down during their winter slumber.
Read MoreSpontaneous wildlife sightings are some of rural living’s greatest rewards. A brief unexpected appearance can turn a bad day around. Bear, deer, raccoon and fox are our closest neighbors. They are adorable, especially their young. They love to eat grapes, and they add a good deal of stress at harvest time.
Read MoreMerlot fermentations are complete, with the Cabernets close behind. Fermenters are buttoned up with the new wine still soaking on the skins. Post fermentation maceration is the fancy technical term for this. Now the fun begins: two-day tastings.
Read MoreYesterday we picked our last grapes under a hot October sun. Petit Manseng and Vidal Blanc are two varieties that were planted with the intention of making special sweet Late Harvest wines. For several decades this worked out quite well, but with climate change, the weather often dictates a drier style wine.
Read MoreThe 2019 harvest has been relaxed and evenly paced. Until now. Continued dry, warm conditions have quickly spiked ripening in Cabernet Sauvignon. Seemingly overnight the grapes transitioned from “almost ready” to “pick now!”
Read MoreThe continuation of warm, dry conditions have given us the opportunity to precision pick. Instead of massive hectic harvest days, we have a relaxed approach.
Read MoreAt harvest time I drink a lot of good wine. Not to drown sorrows (2018) nor to celebrate (2019), but to learn. As the season unfolds I look to my colleagues for inspiration. These are other winegrowers, mostly in Europe where the vintages can also vary considerably. The inspiration is their wine.
Read MoreThis glorious dry weather brings us an extra benefit: down time. No rush to beat a rain. A four-day pause from harvest is rare and special as we are afforded an opportunity to get caught up with cellar work and attend to some vineyard fine-tuning.
Read MoreDry conditions have afforded us the opportunity to precision pick. We have seven different plantings of Chardonnay at Hardscrabble. They range in age (35 years to 4 years), soils, and clones. By harvesting and vinifying each block separately we are able to better understand the personality of each parcel.
Read MoreSo far this has been a very, very good September for harvesting grapes. Better yet this means really good wine. All we got from Dorian were a few stiff breezes. Harvest has been fabulously uneventful. Pick. Crush. Sleep. Repeat.
Read MorePatience rewards, but the wait has been agonizing. The Dorian threat didn’t help, but it looks like we are all clear. Our big push starts tomorrow at Avenius Vineyard to continue at Hardscrabble.
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