The
Appellation
The Fog
The Soil
In
the Pinot Season
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 We
consider harvest to be the cymbal-clashing climax of a successful
season in the vineyard. Once the crop is in (usually in September),
we begin anew by returning much needed water and nutrients
to the soil. A cover crop is a great way to accomplish this,
and now is the perfect time to get it established before winter.
Once the cover crop is planted, we restore any other needed
nutrients to the soil via "fertigation" using our drip system.
Then a good long drink is the prescription, via overhead sprinklers
or drip, to both get the cover crop germinated, and give the
thirsty vines a drink, which will encourage a brief but important
flush of root growth.
As the leaves begin to fall, a series of bud
dissections under a microscope gives us a good idea of next
season's cluster count and size before we begin pruning. This
is an excellent tool for knowing just how many viable buds
to leave behind to establish a balanced crop for the following
season. Then the pruning can begin in earnest. Our Pinot vines
are trained as permanent cordons, so we prune back to "spurs"
of one-year-old wood. We may go through with a tractor to
quickly hedge off the bulk of the canes, but then a crew needs
to walk through to do the final pruning, counting, and cutting
- no substitute for the human eye! This period often coincides
with our wet season, so the vineyard soils can get pretty
soft. Given a decent dry spell, we will mow the cover crop,
which accomplishes a "mulching" of the pruned canes. It's
also a good time to control weeds between the vines.
Throughout the late winter and early spring
we note the progress of the swelling buds, which is temperature
dependent. Shortly after "bud break", when we actually see
growing shoots (usually in March), we begin the growing-season-long
process of pest control, beginning with regular sulfur dusting.
We also keep a wary eye on the air temperature just before
dawn, when frost damage is a serious threat, and sometimes
requires intervention such as overhead watering and/or air
circulation in low, frost prone areas. Also during this time,
when the shoots are a few inches in length, a crew will go
through the vineyard snapping off unwanted shoots from the
spurs (shoot thinning), and extra shoots that emerge from
the trunk and base (suckering).
Sometime during the month of May we see the
vines begin to flower, and the valleys fill with the delicate
scent. This is also an important time weather wise, as in
the pruning process we've already selected the number of clusters
we desire (generally two for every bud not pruned off), and
we are hoping for good weather to facilitate berry set (fertilization).
Cold, rainy weather can cause "shatter", and clusters will
end up containing tiny green shot-berries, which never get
ripe.
As shoots lengthen, movable canopy wires are
snapped into place to support the shoots in a vertical position,
allowing for plenty of sun exposure within the fruit zone,
which is usually just a few inches above the cordon itself.
If necessary, individual leaves and lateral shoots can be
removed from around the fruit zone as well, although care
must be taken to not over expose clusters on the side of the
vine that receives the hottest afternoon sun.
n June we begin the process of moisture monitoring.
Here in the Russian River Valley, we are blessed with a fairly
arid summer climate, which slowly dries out the water table
as the growing season progresses. By carefully observing the
water content in the soil, as well as the moisture content
in the vines themselves, we can track and maintain a small
amount of water stress, which results in smaller berries with
more concentrated colors and flavors.
Mid-summer in the Russian River Valley is when
the utter magic of the place is palpable. Early to rise, you
will awaken to a rather chilly morning enshrouded by thick,
mysterious fog. It is under this blanket that the Pinot Noir
vineyards "sleep", maintaining aromatic delicacy and precious
natural acidity. Wake-up calls may not even be placed much
before noon, when the fog reluctantly breaks up, and the day
rapidly warms. This is when the vines get to the business
of development, soaking in the warm Sonoma County sunshine,
and synthesizing sugars for shoot growth and berry ripening.
However, most of us are putting on layers by early evening,
as the heat rising in the valley draws in the cold Pacific
air through the Petaluma gap and up the river valley itself,
sending the vines back to a long, dreamy night.
Another important mid summer task is cluster
thinning. We are always on the lookout for that extra cluster
that can be dropped, or that defect cluster with shot berries
or some other problem that can be left on the ground. But
in the midst of the color change we call "veraison", we have
one last chance to ensure even ripening throughout the vineyard.
When approximately 85% of all the berries have turned from
green to red (usually in late July), we will drop any clusters
that have 50% or more green berries. If we didn't do this,
in another couple of weeks, all the clusters would look the
same, but the lagging clusters would still be lagging in ripeness,
and would later get harvested along with the truly ripe fruit,
ultimately giving their tart, herbal flavors to the wine.
As the berries approach harvest time in late
summer, we continue to ensure they have just barely enough
water to become fully mature without raisining, which allows
us to harvest at complete ripeness. The final decision is
done by taste: when the fruit tastes so good that we would
just as soon eat it as make wine from it, it is time to pick.
And the season begins anew…
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