Harvest Update
Harvest this past week was very active. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are now starting fermentations. Chardonnay is underway and will be the main focus this coming week.
Read MoreVintage 2024 Begins
This is it. Harvest is in full swing. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and some Chardonnay are ready. Ready is subjective. When to pick is never an easy decision, but it is the most important winemaking decision.
Read MoreStart of Harvest
Vintage 2024 will commence on Friday, August 23 at Boisseau Vineyard. We’ll be picking Chardonnay and Viognier. This is our earliest start of harvest. Avenius and Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc will most likely follow next week.
Read MoreBirds
We are not seeing much bird damage this year. There are those who have theories as to why (heat, drought, hurricane winds), but bottom line this is just one less thing to lose sleep over.
Read MoreWhiplash
Winegrower's Selection
Two More Sunday Vineyard Tours
Read More
Veraison nearly complete
Veraison (color change) of our Cabernet Sauvignon cluster is nearly complete. The waiting game starts. There is now very little that we can do in the vineyard to make improvements in wine quality. We turn our attention to preparation for harvest and crush.
Read MoreDebby and the Grapes
As I write this, Debby is passing just to the west of Linden. We’ve had a lot of rain. Four+ inches is my guess at this point.
Read More50% Veraison
Our Cabernet Sauvignon cluster went through the 50% veraison stage on Thursday, August 1.
Read MoreStart of Veraison
A few berries on our Cabernet Sauvignon cluster have turned color. This transition is called veraison. This year it is early. All indications point to an early harvest.
Read MoreLag Phase
Our Cabernet Sauvignon cluster is now in “lag phase”. When grape berries develop, there are three distinct physiological phases from bloom to harvest. In June and most of July, the berries enlarge quickly due to the cells dividing. They accumulate a lot of acid, but very little sugar (sour grapes). But about seven weeks after bloom the cells cease dividing and pause. This second stage is called lag phase.
Read MoreLarge, loose and full.
Our designated Cabernet Sauvignon cluster remains large, loose and full. This year Cabernet Sauvignon clusters are bigger than normal. The previous year’s weather in June determines this year’s cluster size and number of clusters per shoot.
Read MoreNot much change.
Our Cabernet Sauvignon cluster hasn’t changed much. This is very good news. The berries remain small.
Read MoreVine Aeration
Last week we finished aerating the last block of our vineyard. Aeration refers to removing (by hand) any unwanted shoots, leaves, or side shoots (laterals) that block air flow and light from getting to the clusters. This is a very time consuming, meticulous task. It improves both fungus disease prevention and wine quality.
Read MoreSo far, so Dry
The personality of vintage 2024 is starting to unfold. It is dry. Less than an inch of rain fell in June.
Read MorePea-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.
Read More