Early Spring in the Vineyards

What a strange start to this year’s growing season.  Not exactly your normal March in the Midwest - nineteen days over 70 degrees (nine over 80) plus enough rain to replenish the unusually low irrigation ponds.  With that combination, the vines got off to an early start while the native grasses and our ground cover started growing like crazy also.  This is the earliest we’ve needed to be out moving and shoot thinning since we started the vineyard!

In spite of our quick & early immersion into the vineyard routine, this will always remain our favorite time of the year.  Watching the vines awake with the growth that will create this year’s vintage and help define each vine’s ultimate, long term form and structure. Every vine has a unique character that we try to help shape each successive year.  We realize more and more that wine growing is an art and not a science subject to fixed rules and formulas.  Perhaps the process changes as a grower expands their vineyards or starts using mechanization but it is our belief that the completely hands-on approach is the only way to go….

On the winery side of things, we released the NorCyana last weekend - we are glad we waited and hope you have a chance to enjoy our embodiment of Missouri State's viticultural treasure.