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Vineyard

A collection of 414 posts

Counting sheep (and losing sleep)

By Levi Glenn Most of my mornings start with counting sheep. You herd that right. Raising sheep in an area that borders so much wild land means that we have to keep a close eye on the herd. The predators that populate this area are quite formidable, the most dangerous

Veraison 2013: one week ahead of normal as we turn for the home stretch

Veraison -- the point at which grapes start to turn color and accumulate sugar -- is a visible, easily measurable signpost in the growing season. There are several of these signposts, including budbreak, flowering, veraison, first harvest and last harvest. Taken together, they allow us to assess the progress of our vineyard

Photo essay: head-trained, dry-farmed Grenache on Scruffy Hill

Over recent years, we've become more and more convinced that dry farming is perhaps our most powerful tool in making wines that express their place. I wrote about this in detail in 2010, and since then most of our new plantings have been very traditional: head-trained, dry-

Assessing the impact of the recent heat wave

Our recent heat wave has finally broken. Today's high was 82°, and it's already dropped a few degrees since then as a brisk on-shore breeze has picked up. This is a welcome change from recent days, the last eight of which all topped out at

We welcome a new grape to California: Picardan

Today we make history as we plant 1000 vines of Picardan in a rugged block we've reserved for new grape varieties at the extreme western edge of our property. This is the culmination of a nearly decade-long process. We decided in late 2003 that we wanted to

We check in on the vineyard's progress at the end of May

The end of May marks the end of our danger of frost and the end of any chance of spring rain. As such, it is a good time to assess where we are. Short version: things look good, and we're on track for a solid harvest at a

Off with Their Heads: We Graft our Chardonnay to Counoise and Mourvedre

By Levi Glenn We have been accused of being part of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) contingent, but that wasn’t true... until now. Since 2000, we've harvested our two-acre Chardonnay block -- originally used to produce vine material for our grapevine nursery -- and used it to make

The Beauty of Frost Protection

By Chelsea Franchi The beginning of last week brought some low temperatures to the vineyard and Executive Winemaker/Vineyard Manager Neil Collins and Viticulturist Levi Glenn were forced to work through the night to ensure that the 2013 harvest didn't get fried by frost. When freezing temperatures are

Budbreak 2013

With the last two weeks of warm weather, the vineyard has sprung out of dormancy. Starting with Viognier, Grenache and Grenache Blanc, budbreak proceeds through Syrah, Marsanne and Picpoul, and eventually finishes with Roussanne and Mourvedre. The photo below, of a Grenache vine from last week, is typical: With budbreak

Balanced on the tipping point between winter and spring

This time of year in the vineyard is unique. The mild days, deep blue skies and warm sun give evidence of the summer to come, but the frosty nights, bright green cover crop and bare vines give evidence of the winter past. It's one of the busiest times