At 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.
Read MoreIt is fitting that we should take a break from harvest and crush over Labor Day Weekend. The first small flurry of ripe grapes is “in the barn.” Now we wait. And watch Dorian’s track.
Read MoreChardonnay harvest at Avenius and Hardscrabble is still weeks away, but we are starting to zero in on strategies now.
Read MoreYesterday was Linden’s first day of crush. But we didn’t crush. We whole-cluster pressed. Perhaps some explanation is required.
Read MoreLast week’s heat wave accelerated ripening. Harvest will start very soon, but the peak of activity is still many weeks away. This is why September’s weather is so critical in determining the overall quality and style of the vintage. All we ask for is cool, dry and no hurricanes.
Yesterday was our first day of harvest. Last week’s heat and this continuing dry spell accelerated ripening.
Read MoreAll the usual signs are pointing towards a very good vintage for 2019. The vines and clusters are healthy. Numbers (sugar and acid) are good. Very little rain. However I’m restraining my enthusiasm. At least for now.
Read MoreThe soil is dry and the vines are slowing down. Right on time. You have no idea how exciting this is to winegrowers.
Read MoreLate July brings a shift to the vineyard and to the cellar.
Wines constantly evolve during aging in the cellar and in the bottle. Bottled wines gain complexity and integration with time. So what does that mean? There is only one way to find out.
Read MoreThe vineyard has now entered lag phase, which is the transition period from growth to ripening.
Read MoreTwo weeks ago both Hardscrabble and Avenius Vineyards experienced a moderate hail event. Yield losses are modest, around 10%. However, the lingering damage could adversely affect the quality of the vintage.
Read MoreLinden was lucky this week. Daily predictions of heavy rainfall from thunderstorms never materialized (with the exception of a 15-minute deluge on Monday). Soils are beginning to dry out.
Read MoreVintage 2019 is progressing well. The first milestone of a vintage’s success is flowering. This year’s flowering was early (late May through the first week in June). Conditions were ideal with warm, sunny, dry days.
2018’s planting struggled to get going this spring. Some vines did not make it through the winter, as they were too weak after the unforgiving rains and lack of sun last year. The planting is looking healthier now.
Read MoreJune is our busiest and most demanding month in the vineyard. Vigorous vine growth is fueled by soil moisture, heat and abundant sun. This spring has provided us a hat trick on all three accounts.
Read MorePinch me. When was the last time we heard this mantra.
Bright, dark green vine leaves. Firm soil. Dry socks. These are a few of my favorite things. After the wettest vintage on record we are especially grateful.
Read MoreMay’s weather is predictably unpredictable. While this can inconvenience our morning wardrobe selection, the vines don’t seem to be much bothered by it. Everything looks pretty good at this stage.
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