The vines have finally slowed down now that it is hot and dry. We still manage to spend several hours a day in the vineyard but fortunately are able to work in the mornings and evenings rather than the heat of the day. At this point we’re just touching up the tops of the vines to be sure the aisles and middles stay open to allow sunlight and air to caress the clusters. We’re also putting bird netting on the Cabernet Franc. Fortunately it is slower than the other reds so we don’t have to get all the netting done at once.
Budbreak and bloom were a little later this season. We calculate projected harvest dates based on days from bloom (and compare to previous seasons). As the fruit ripens we pull berry samples to test the sugar levels (°Brix) and pH and we also evaluate the maturity of the fruit. We’ve done some berry testing and it looks like the Sauvignon Blanc may be ready as early as August 7 but we’ll know more after we pull the next sample this weekend. Malvasia Bianca and Vermentino could be ready mid to late August. Cabernet Franc may be August 29 and Syrah as late as September 1. As always this could all change depending on the weather and how the grapes respond.
For those who haven’t picked with us before I’ve included the basic information on what to expect below.
Stay cool and we hope to see you for harvest soon!
Harvest info:
We will begin at first light (about 7:00 am) and will go until the grapes are all picked or it gets too hot.
We’ll have lots of water, Gatorade, and of course food/snacks 🙂 We’ll also have sunscreen and bug spray (just in case).
We have harvest shears here for you to use. Some folks like to wear a glove on one hand since it can prevent the shears from cutting your fingers instead of the grape stem. Many folks sit on an overturned bucket but you can bring a chair or stool if you prefer.
You do not have to carry the full buckets, just fill them and leave them in the row. The vines are not prickly so you don’t have to wear long sleeves/pants unless you prefer to for sun protection, and a hat is a good idea. There may be some fire ants in a few spots so shoes/socks are usually better than sandals but choice of footwear is up to you. If you’d like to bring your kids that’s fine but we do ask that you have them pick next to you and that you supervise their work since the shears are sharp.