After record-setting rains in the winter and early spring, we're enjoying a very agreeable summer here in the Napa Valley. The rain and cold put the vineyards behind schedule by as much as 3-4 weeks, but warm temperatures in June have helped us to catch up, and we hope for a harvest that's almost on time.

We saw the first signs of flowering in the Merlot here at the winery the third week of May. The Cabernet began flowering around Memorial Day weekend and flowering and pollination were complete within about 10 days. Since then Geoff Gorsuch, our Winemaker, has been walking the vineyards counting clusters and thinning where it's necessary. Flowering is a critical time in the vineyard because the success of the pollination has a large impact on the crop size and on the uniformity of the cluster formation.

You might be surprised to know that the grape flower is hermaphroditic, meaning that the blossoms are self-pollinating. They contain both the male, pollen-producing staminate and the female, seed-producing carpelate.This is great news because it means we don't have to worry about bees or wind to carry the pollen. We only worry about the weather, and this year the weather during pollination was generally quite good. We see a small amount of what we call "shatter" ¹ in the Merlot, probably due to some rainfall in the third week of May. The rest of the crop looks great, with nice, even cluster formation.

With the cluster count completed, and a little time allowed for cluster development, Geoff began removing leaves strategically, around the clusters. He does this to promote light exposure, which will heighten fruitiness, and to improve air circulation, which helps to keep the risk of mold or mildew to the minimum.

At the end of June, the vines were ready for hedging (cutting back the shoots), which is done to keep the leaf canopy-to-cluster ratio in line. The favorable weather conditions have led to tremendous shoot development, and it's important to balance the shoot growth to the crop to avoid any potential green character or excess shading.

The grapes will probably begin to change color about the end of this month, and the next thing you know, it will be time to start checking the sugars and getting ready for harvest again! Click here for report from May 1, 2006.

Footnote:
¹Shatter: This term is used to describe crop loss due to impaired pollination. Normally this will mean missing grapes from within the cluster rather than the loss of the whole cluster. The most common cause of shatter is heavy rain, hail, high winds or extreme heat.