We picked for three days straight. We picked at all three vineyards. We picked four different varieties. We picked 18 blocks. Today we ran out of lugs (picking baskets), cooler space, and time. We’re trying not to be too exhausted as we now have two days of crush ahead of us.
Read MoreAll Linden’s Chardonnay will be “in the barn” by Monday. We allowed it to take full advantage of dry, sunny weather.
Read MoreToday we crush both Hardscrabble and Avenius Sauvignon Blanc. They were picked meticulously over the last two cool mornings.
Read MoreFinally, the weather we had hoped for has arrived. Perfect ripening conditions. Tomorrow will be the beginning of a long stretch of harvesting and crushing.
Read MoreToday we crush and press Hardscrabble Semillon and some Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc. The first day of crush brings excitement and angst.
Read MoreWaiting is the hardest part. Especially when it is raining. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are very close to full maturity. But to make a balanced, terroir driven wine, close isn’t good enough.
Read MoreWe’ve finally caught some breaks in the weather. The soils are the driest they have been this year due to a combination of missed thunderstorms and warm, sunny days. Now the question is how long will our luck last?
Read MoreThere is only one time when one can see ripeness. And that time is now. Véraison is the coloring up of grapes and the beginning of ripening. With black grapes it is very distinctive. White grape veraison is less obvious, but there is still a subtle shift in color and translucency.
Read MoreWe are often asked about how we are adapting to a new climate. There are still too many unknowns for us to come up with a comprehensive plan, but some pieces are starting to fall into place.
Read MoreSummer thunderstorms have continually refreshed ground moisture this growing season. The vines, the cover crops, and the grass retain a spring-like green lushness.
Read MoreWell-timed rains and lots of sun have brought abundance to the vineyard. The vines require extra hedging and trimming as shoot growth is exuberant. Cluster size is much larger than typical due to good weather conditions during flowering and pollination. The potential crop is large. Too large. These yields would produce thin, uninteresting wines as the vines would struggle to sufficiently ripen the grapes.
Read MoreThe pace in the vineyard has not slowed, but we are slowly transitioning from the basics to fine tuning. Basics refers to the more mundane tasks of tying up shoots and hedging excessively long shoots. A rainy spring has stimulated vine growth, so we will be occupied with these jobs for the foreseeable future.
Read MoreVintage 2022 is starting to take shape. Two aspects stand out: a potentially abundant crop and vigorous vine growth.
Read MoreSo here we are in late May and it has been raining a lot. What does this mean for the vines and for the vintage.
Read MoreThis week begins the start of seasonal “green work.” This refers to all the tasks of pulling, plucking, tying, positioning, and hedging the newly emerging (green) growth of the vines. This vineyard work is detailed, complex, often tedious, and difficult to describe.
Read MoreNot that cold last night, only in the high 30’s. We are feeling good and ready to start the season on a good footing.
Read MoreLast night we had a freeze. But it was not freezing enough to do damage to the vines (we think).
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