A V3 Spring

Spring came earlier this year compared to last year. With a halfhearted winter we managed to get our pruning done earlier. No need to prune grapevines on snowshoes this year!

In the beginning of May the buds are swollen and the sap is running. Our chores are actually fun this time of year. On glorious blue-sky days and on surprisingly warm cloudy days we are in the vineyard picking up winter pruning piles and tying up the vines to the top wire of the trellis.

This year we are ahead with our chores. The vines are all pruned and tied up. We see some colorful buds starting to burst open. We walk the vineyard daily and inspect the swollen buds in anticipation of more spring renewal and bursting buds pushing forth green shoots.

What will the warmer-than-usual winter temperatures mean for this year's grape crop? We'll have to wait and see. Every year has been different since we first began harvesting grapes in 2010. Optimistic farmers, we're keeping our fingers crossed that Mother Nature doesn't throw a late hard frost our way. So far, so good.