Season of the Vine |
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January -
The vines are now dormant for the winter. This Family Zinfandel
vine is over 50 years old. In January we pruned and strip sprayed the
block. The wild flowers are a volunteer cover crop of mustard, wild
buttercup and creeping daisy. The cover crop will be cultivated in spring
to add nutrients back to the ground. We strip spray under the vines where
we cannot safely cultivate.
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February -
The vines are still dormant, and the ground is soaking up the much-needed rain. Winter and spring rains replenish the water table these dry farmed vines will sustain on the rest of the year.
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March -
The first day of spring!
These swollen buds are the first sign that the vines are waking up. These buds will soon push leaves.
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April -
All the vines are covered with new growth. Any unwanted new growth will be removed. This is called suckering.
The rows have all been cultivated. The cover crops have been plowed under to add nutrients.
Now we watch for frost. |
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May -
These are baby grapes.
Thankfully we're still a couple weeks away from bloom so we were able to welcome the rain last weekend (5/1 & 5/2).
The vineyard crew is busy this month sulfuring and suckering. |
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June -
The Zinfandel vines are done blooming. The crop is set.
This month the vineyard crew will look at leaf thinning to increase air circulation and limit mildew. |
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July - 2009
is looking to be a big year. Much of the vineyard is loaded with fruit, and some of that will likely have to be dropped to insure ripening. However, Old-Vines are different. They seem to almost self regulate their crop, only putting on what they can ripen. |
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August - 2009
The grapes are still changing color and we are waiting for warm days to come ripen them. The first week of August has been unseasonably cool. |
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September - 2009
Leo's bounty. The grapes are coming along nicely. It won’t be long now. |
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October - 2009
Harvest is over. Leo's grapes were picked in mid September and fermented. They are now resting in the cellar, waiting to become 2009 Family Old Vine Zinfandel. |
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November - 2009
The vine leaves have turned beautiful fall colors and the cover crops have begun to grow. |
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December - 2009
Recent frosts have pushed the vines into dormancy and pruning has begun.
Leo is decorated and ready for Christmas! |
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