Yesterday was a very good day. I spent a good part of the day shoot thinning Hardscrabble’s three-year-old Chardonnay…. While working, my thoughts kept drifting back to a visit I had last summer with a very fanatical winegrower in Barolo.
Read MoreThis spring has given the vines a very good start to vintage 2018. Very late in starting, there has been no time wasted in trying to catch up.
Read MoreThe first flush of vine shoots appeared very quickly last week. Good soil moisture and temperatures in the 80˚F pushed buds from swell to 2” or 3” length in a matter of three days. This is all good.
Read MoreThis spring has taken an unusually long time to arrive, but now that it has, the transformation has been sudden.
Read MoreLinden’s big planting is accomplished with 3,000 new Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines in the ground. I needed to make some difficult decisions along the way…
Read MoreLast week was a very good week. Lots of new vines and 26 tons of chicken litter made it into the ground before a big soaking rain. The final blocks of Cabernet are nearly all pruned.
Read MoreI’ve been delaying updating you about Linden’s spring vineyard activities. Best to wait for spring weather to arrive. I haven’t yet given up on spring 2018, they say it will arrive later this week, so with great optimism here we go!
Read MoreThe first blooming of Forsythia was duly recorded last Friday. This is one of many important indicators of predicting, tracking and recording each spring’s evolution. Linden’s spring indicator records go back decades.
Read MoreAn unseasonably cold March has kept the vines in a prolonged state of dormancy. This has afforded us a leisurely pruning pace, as there has been no spring panic pushing us to finish pruning before bud break.
Read MoreI do so dislike the wind, especially the March winds. March is the peak of pruning season. It is so wonderful to be back out in the vineyard full time and without interruption. But I have to admit that the fierce, biting winds of the last several weeks has taken some of the pleasure out of pruning.
Read MoreWinery trade show season is January, February and March. Those in the biz are more relaxed at this time and have the time to attend. It has been a number of years since I have been on a trade show floor.
Read MoreI’m now used to the puzzled looks in reaction to my declaration that pruning is my favorite vineyard activity.
Read MoreI’ve had an article in my head for the past couple of years.
Read MoreIn youth I looked forward: new Lyre training systems in the vineyard and fancy high tech dejuicing tanks in the cellar. With age I find myself looking backwards.
Read MoreAs much as we love winter, pruning this week spurred a longing for at least a hint of spring. So far this year pruning has been a slow process.
Read MoreThe winter of 2018 started with worrisome volatile temperature swings reminiscent of recent Dow Jones activity. However the past few weeks have settled down to a typical, but dreary mid-winter normal.
Read MoreThis week was white barrel topping week. Once a month we top off all barrels. Because of evaporation through the oak staves, each barrel loses about a half a liter of wine (angel’s share).
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