 Veraison! - There are signs of pink grapes in nearly all our vineyards but the 777 at Jerusalem Hill have raced ahead reminding, or rather proving, that the seasons are changing and that cycles continue, despite accounts of a cooler growing season.
The first sign of color on the pinot noir is a bit like the first indication of spring – an exciting promise. One colleague referred to veraison as “the ignition of harvest.” Indeed nearly all our interns have arrived for the season and we are busy finishing up pre-harvest duties. Very quickly I will need to confirm the revised yield estimates against our supplies (barrels, yeast, analytical provisions, etc) and adjust any orders.
In the vineyard, crews are busy adjusting the crop into balance with the vines. Wings are being removed from grape clusters as are any clusters that are touching each other or tied up in the fruiting wire. The vine canopy is examined with an eye to possible leaf removal on the morning sun side. Thinning activities in the vineyard this year have been complicated by the poor and/or uneven fruit set. We have had many discussions on how best to balance the crop without giving thinning orders that could result in dropping/cutting too much. This is to say that a one cluster per shoot approach to thinning is oversimplified and might actually under crop the vines. Instead we must consider the cluster weights in proportion to the number of shoots per vine and factor in the planting density – the challenge of individualized care in greater than a backyard setting.
Mother Nature works in mysterious ways that we find exciting and never quite the same from year to year. We are very much looking forward to the harvest and you can read all about it ... as it happens ... on our HARVEST BLOG 2010! - M. Eleni Papadakis, Winemaker |
