Pressing Matters
Yesterday was Linden’s first day of crush. But we didn’t crush. We whole-cluster pressed. Perhaps some explanation is required.
Read MoreSuddenly It Started
Yesterday was our first day of harvest. Last week’s heat and this continuing dry spell accelerated ripening.
Read MoreCautiously Optimistic
All 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 MoreA Good Transition
The soil is dry and the vines are slowing down. Right on time. You have no idea how exciting this is to winegrowers.
Read MoreLag Phase
The vineyard has now entered lag phase, which is the transition period from growth to ripening.
Read MoreHail no!
Two 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 MoreLucky Break
Linden 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 MoreCanopy Work
June 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 MoreDry, Warm, and Sunny
Pinch 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 MoreGrowth Spurt
May’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.
Read MoreLike Clockwork
Hardscrabble’s Chardonnay vines budded out on April 19. This is wonderfully normal (the thirty year average date is April 20). With farming and weather, average is as good as it gets.
Read MoreGrafting Project | Linden’s Climate Change Trial Vineyard
Vine pruning is finished. Now the waiting game starts, although the vines are progressing quickly with higher than average temperatures. Young Chardonnay vines will begin bud break any day now. We’ll have a few weeks before the vines are at a stage were they need handwork attention, so now is a good time to graft our first vines for Linden’s Climate Change Trial Vineyard.
Read MoreRocky Knob
We just finished a very successful planting of 1,400 Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The last day was grueling as the best slope was saved for last. This particular slope consists of a very large pile of rocks. And not much else.
Read MorePlanting
Planting a new vineyard block gives great satisfaction and optimism. It will be years before there is something tangible produced, but the process itself is rewarding.
Read MoreSpring Transition
Spring is slow this year. That is fine with us. It gives us more time to finish pruning, tying and trellis repair. The vines are only just starting to bleed. This is the winegrower term for when the sap flows after making a pruning cut. It is a good sign: the vines are coming to life.
Read MoreBottling
Preservation of the wine’s fresh aromas and flavors depends on getting the wine from barrel into bottle with military-like precision.
Read MorePruning
Winegrowers don’t agree on much, but we all unhesitatingly profess our love for pruning.
Read MoreLibrary Wines
Rather than totally sell out each vintage, serious wineries hold back a portion of their bottlings. Some of these wine libraries are very extravagant and public. Most are simply a designated corner of the working cellar.
Read MoreTasting Vintage 2018
The vineyard floor is ice coated as partially thawed snow was rained on then re-frozen. This makes pruning hazardous, especially on steep slopes.
Read MoreBorn Under a Bad Sign
Pruning season is upon us. We got an early start this year, which does carry some risks.
Read More