Jeff’s Corner 3-2-18

And away we go…

Well, we are all starting to thaw out a bit here at the vineyard, and as always this time of year, lots of things are happening.  The new life-cycle of the vines is about to begin, so here’s a short update on what’s going on.

Our guests have been asking me if our cold winter has affected the vines, and actually it has in a very positive way.  The last two winters have been extremely mild, and they have not gone fully dormant.  This year they have, and that’s a good thing.

When the vines go fully dormant, the roots work harder to store up more energy for bud break, which is when they come “back to life”.  With a colder winter, bud break is more intense and later in the year. 

When bud break is later, there is a lesser chance of a freeze, and the fruit will hang longer on the vines before harvest.  Brian boldly predicted the estate Chenin Blanc will bud-out March 7, a full three weeks later than last year.  We have also had some timely rain the past few weeks, which is good as well.

I can’t write about our vines without a giant pat-on-the-back for our vineyard manager extraordinaire, Clint Messimer and his fantastic crew.    Every time I mention our estate vineyards in Jeff’s Corner I say “they have never looked this good”.  Every time it’s true.  These guys are incredible.

I was coming back from a tour the other day and I stopped the trolley by the Montepulciano/Aglianico block so my group could check out the beauty and symmetry of the vines.  A young lady commented “they all look   the same” and that’s a good thing as well at the start a new vintage.

I have the coolest job in the world…