What a difference a year makes! After an exceptionally soggy 2006 (click here for a 2006 harvest recap) with nearly twice our normal rainfall, we began the 2007 growing season with about a 10" deficit in rain (normal annual rainfall is 30-35").

We had a textbook beginning, starting just about the middle of March. Some exceptionally prolonged cold spells in the winter led us to think that our "bud break" might be delayed, but it's likely that the lack of rain allowed the relatively dry soil to warm up quickly and kept the vines on schedule. In any case, the growing season got off to a jack-rabbit start with our gorgeous "July in March" weather. Geoff Gorsuch, our Winemaker, had a few nights of interrupted sleep, protecting the tender buds from frost. Damage starts at 32° and so if he reads 35° he turns on the wind machines, the large propellers you see in the vineyards, to mix the warm air above with the cold air that would otherwise settle on the vineyard.

The timely beginning meant Geoff could launch into the necessary shoot thinning and suckering right away in April. He prunes in the winter with a certain picture in mind, but the vines seem to have minds of their own and it's important to make adjustments as we move through the season in order to get the best quality.

Flowering was right on schedule too, or even a bit early, beginning in the Cabernet Franc in early May. Good, mild weather gave us excellent fruit-set and cluster formation. This should help Geoff down the road, as harvest approaches, because uniform fruit-set often leads to uniform ripening and makes his harvest decisions a little easier!

Bloom is also prime time to check for nutrient deficiencies. Geoff takes petiole (Ieaf-stem) samples from the leaf opposite the cluster here and there in the vineyard and sends them to a local lab for analysis. Too much vigor isn't good for quality so the need to fertilize is rare, but nitrogen and potassium are some of the most common deficiencies when we find them.

Cluster counts will be completed early this month and Geoff will begin removing leaves strategically, around the clusters, and also hedging (cutting back the shoots). The thinning improves light exposure to heighten fruitiness and improves air circulation, which helps to keep the risk of mold or mildew to the minimum. Hedging the shoots is important because it keeps them in balance with the crop and avoid any potential green character or excess shading. He's already done some cluster thinning in the Cabernet Franc and Merlot and will continue to evaluate the crop level as the season progresses.

At this point, the grapes look like small, green beads and are not recommended for tasting! It's too soon to have any idea about what kind of year we'll have other than to say "so far, so good!" We'll get back to you in a few months with another update.