This is a very active week in the vines. Next week’s ominous forecast of dangerously high temperatures means that vineyard work will be limited to only the cooler mornings. We’re trying to get ahead of the game this week. And we are. Petit Manseng is the last block remaining for fruit zone aeration. It will be done this week. Then all hands will continue to tie and shoot position.
Read MoreIn the last 30 days we have received 8” of rain. Typically we would expect about 3”. For most growing seasons this would be cause for concern, but after two drought years we’ll take anything we can get.
Read MoreCooler than average temperatures have slowed vine development. Shoot growth is not quite as exuberant as is typical for this time of year. This is actually a relief as keeping up with shoot positioning and tying can be challenging.
Read MoreThe vines are off and running. In April new growth comes from last season’s stored carbohydrates. But by late May the roots have taken over as the engine fueling exuberant shoot growth. In early May we observed some unusual developments as shoots began to form. Many buds did not push. Some shoots seemed stunted. This delayed development has been especially evident in Merlot, Petit Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc.
Read MoreThe warm weather has pushed the vines to bud break. All varieties are out except Cabernet Sauvignon which is always last to wake up (and last to ripen). The young Cabernet vines now have green leaves showing, but the older vines are still a few days behind (this is normal).
Read MoreOfficial Chardonnay bud break occurred on Saturday April 19. This is recorded when 50% of the buds open up to reveal the first green leaf. After all our wild temperature fluctuations over the last few weeks, this budding date is average. With the warm weather predicted for the coming week, all the other grape varieties should follow suit quickly.
Read MoreLinden’s wines come form our own grapes and our own labor. But we have three significant costs of production that are affected by tariffs. We just don’t know what the final invoices will look like.
Read MoreThis morning at 2:00 am the temperature had already fallen to 28°F at my house, which is about halfway up the Hardscrabble slope. 28°F is the tipping point for frost damage. With still 5 hours of potentially falling temperatures, it looked like our Chardonnay buds would be toast. However the temperature only fell one additional degree to 27°F thanks to calming winds, which allowed for a favorable temperature inversion.
Read MoreLast week’s warm spell stimulated some bud break in Chardonnay. Around 10% to 20% of the buds are now showing green leaves. They are now vulnerable to frost damage. Frost is predicted for the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning.
Read MorePruning is in full swing. For the next month we will quietly be working the vines. The only sounds we generate are the snip of pruning shears and the reverberations of canes being pulled from trellis wires. This calm lets us witness winter ceding to spring.
Read MorePruning is in full swing. For the next month we will quietly be working the vines. The only sounds we generate are the snip of pruning shears and the reverberations of canes being pulled from trellis wires. This calm lets us witness winter ceding to spring.
Read MorePruning is in full swing. For the next month we will quietly be working the vines. The only sounds we generate are the snip of pruning shears and the reverberations of canes being pulled from trellis wires. This calm lets us witness winter ceding to spring.
Read MoreHardscrabble is the name of the vineyards that surround Linden’s winery. Hardscrabble is a regional name for this area. There is a road, a ridge and an abandoned cemetery that go by the name. We simply adapted it.
Read MoreSnow cover and bright blue skies have made a wonderful start to the beginning of pruning season. Just like the good old days when we had real winters.
Read MoreThere are often long periods of silence when driving between winery appointments. Jonathan drives and needs to keep his eyes on the narrow windy roads. Jim navigates using unfamiliar tools (I’m still a map guy, but paper maps only exist as historic documents). On a rare stretch of straight road Jonathan blurts out “respect requires restraint.” This captures Irpinia’s winemaking approach.
Read MoreWe traveled to Irpinia to get a better understanding of the nuances of the Fiano grape in the vineyard. There is no substitute for being there. Seeing the growth characteristics of the vines, literally feeling the soil, and walking the slopes can’t happen on the web. Broken language conversations become more fluid when pointing, gesturing, and touching the vines.
Read MoreWinegrowers have a passion for sharing information and ideas. Internships, exchanges, technical visits, and random emails are all part of our profession. This is an extension of our farming roots. Farmers are introverts by nature and live a fairly isolated life by design. But when the occasion arises, we enjoy sharing our experiences with others who work the same way. Over the years I’ve sometimes been received at other vineyards with an air of skepticism, but once we talk the talk, and it becomes apparent that we do the same work and have the same struggles and rewards, a bond quickly forms.
Read MoreWe’re just back from the region of Irpinia (also known as Avellino) in southern Italy. We were there to learn about a grape that I had never heard of a decade ago. Fiano produces a white wine of great character and aging potential. Its stellar performance in Linden’s Climate Change Trial Vineyard has been the inspiration for us to make a pilgrimage to its source.
Read MoreRed fall colors in the vineyard have been dramatic this year. The foliage of black fruited vines (the Cabernets, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) has turned a deep crimson. (White fruited vine leaves remain yellow.) Winegrowers in this region have never seen this before.
Read MoreToday we are picking Petit Manseng. This grape can withstand just about anything Mother Nature will throw at it. Most importantly it survived ten straight rainy days. This past week of sun has dried out the grapes and added some exotic flavors.
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