What a spring this has been! As if time doesn’t fly by fast enough, we have to be tricked by Mother Nature?! It is so hard to believe that we are mid way through May already and yet to have any weather above 85. I do have to say, that it made for a much more enjoyable Zinfest with weather in the 80’s instead the 100’s. People actually talked about the wines and the vendors and not just the heat. That said…..it is time for this rain to go away and the warmer days to…
>>> READ MOREIf you live close to vineyards you will notice that pruning season is in full swing. In fact we have completed about two thirds of our pruning. It always seems like a clean fresh start that I appreciate after the frost has left the vineyards and most of my yard looking a bit beaten. It even inspires me to want to do some Spring Cleaning (now…if I can just find the time). I can’t help but think about how many “fresh starts” our Lizzy James vineyard has seen since 1904. Imagine starting your 106th season. …
>>> READ MOREIt is commonly thought that a “stressed” vine produces the best wine with the most intense flavors. This train of thought is great marketing for certain terrains and climates. But, the jury is still really out on if there is much truth to this. Research, as well as Kyle and my Dad, point to the success of creating great wine to a “balanced” vine. It is important, especially in the great growing climate that we have, to manipulate the vines throughout the season in order to create balance. The right level of crop, the right amount of foliage,…
>>> READ MOREI made a promise to follow up on our little bud from the first vineyard post. So…..here it is! Same vine….same spur….nearly 5 months later. In fact, this covers the whole growing season for the fruit. The vineyard was harvested just a few days after this picture. It really is pretty amazing how quickly the vine moves through the season year after year. And this year it moved even quicker as it was harvest earlier in September than last year. Part of this vineyard was again picked for our Lizzy James Vineyard, Old Vine Zinfandel….
>>> READ MOREI was out in the Old Vine Zinfandel vineyard last week looking for a picture of color change or veraison. As you can see, I found a great picture showing the variable color in the bunch as this process takes place. Soon this bunch will have full color. Some bunches already do. So, then the sulfuring stops and we wait for sugars and flavors to develop. I was struck by how amazing some of these vines are and thought you might like to see a picture of one and hear a little more about this…
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