Journal | June 17, 2024
Peppercorn
Our Cabernet Sauvignon cluster now has berries at the “peppercorn” stage. Winegrowers make food comparisons to berry size (pea sized coming soon, then garbanzo bean). Viticulturalists (grapevine scientists) communicate size in millimeters. Winegrowers have more fun.
It’s hot and dry. And that is good for the vines, good for potential wine quality, but not so good for those of us hand working the canopy. Less water means smaller berries which are ideal for concentrated wines. The soil is moderately dry right now, but if we experience the forecasted hot and dry week to come we could start to see a bit of browning in the grass. This is the first signal of water deficiency in the soil surface.
This week continues to be busy with hedging, shoot positioning and fruit zone aeration. These are all still done by hand. But the afternoon heat and humidity might drive us inside in the afternoons. Start times for some of us have shifted to 6:00am or earlier.
Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Hardscrabble Journal: June 17, 2024