Journal | June 24, 2024
Pea-sized
Hardscrabble’s Cabernet Sauvignon berries are now pea sized. We haven’t had any measurable rain for several weeks. Dry soils may be slowing down berry size development which would be good for the quality of the 2024 vintage. Right now established vines are not showing any visible signs of water stress. However, some of our two-year old experimental plantings are looking a bit thirsty. The roots of these young vines are not yet well established enough to dig deep to access water.
The heat we experienced last week slowed us down, but didn’t bother the vines. Grapevines originated in the Middle East where the summers are hot and dry. They are better adapted to this weather than are we.
The vines still demand our attention, but soon we go from “hustle” to maintenance mode. This is our last intense week of vineyard canopy management. We are nearly done with aeration in the fruit zone, which I will explain in the next post.
Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Hardscrabble Journal: June 24, 2024