Winter... Really?

Well, it’s been roughly six years since my migration from California to Missouri….. and I still can NOT figure out the weather! Seems I’m not alone though – the vines are unsure exactly what they are supposed to be doing also.  Memories of the 2007 Easter freeze still haunt winegrowers in this region and we are therefore, reluctantly, still delaying the start of pruning.  Does a watched Winter ever freeze?

With pruning on hold, our attention has turned to the nectars of past year’s harvests.  The Chambourcin we released a week ago has been well received and welcomed by those who had to do without for far too many months.  Our first Norton has matured in a collection of barrels and we plan to bottle it towards the end of the month – look for a release party in late February.  The Vignoles, Seyval and Vidal are awaiting their turn….
Stay tuned.

Beginnings

And a new year has started… Not just on the calendar but in the vineyards as well. Soon we’ll start pruning the vines and making the thousands of decisions that will affect the quality and quantity of this year’s crop. In the meantime, the mild temperatures have allowed us to get caught up on maintenance and projects around the winery.

Our new Chambourcin is in the bottle - the release party is this Saturday – and soon we’ll be blending five barrels of Norton and bottling it also.  It’s an exciting time of the year – finishing up the wines from last years harvest and preparing the vineyards for this years crop – and I wouldn’t trade it for anything…