Summer Vineyard Report

Rain! Rain! Go away! June has provided us an unnerving amount of all-day-long thunderstorms. It has slowed progress in the vineyard slightly and the disease pressure spiked. Freddi has been putting some long hours in on the tractor spraying for downy mildew. While shoot thinning and training is still underway, the crew is looking to the Norton. 

As mentioned last month, our Norton is planted on Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) to help control the vigor of our favorite native varietal. Bloom is underway and it’s only a matter of time before our 40 acres of Norton enters fruit set. The pressure is on as the vineyard crew races to open up the canopy on Norton to ensure the proper amount of sunlight. We have to keep the canopy open and breezy. This is done by removing lateral shoots and thinning out a select amount of leaves in the fruit zone.

Remember, it is vital that the canopy remains open so that the vines microclimate stays cooler. We want fresh air to move through the canopy to help control disease pressure. It’s also essential when spraying the vines. If the canopy is too thick, the sprays will never reach the interior of the canopy, leaving the fruit unprotected.

The center of the canopy is left open to sunlight ensuring the grapes are developing with adequate light to assist with the acids. Norton is both hardy and delicate. Too much shade can lead to a buildup in acids that are so difficult to work within the cellar, but excessive amounts of sun can lead to sunburned fruit and raisined berries, which lend themselves to grapes with a high phenolic load. Something we definitely want to avoid when crafting our delicious wines!

Overall 2020 is looking to be a great vintage.