Renewed beginnings!!

We planted new vines a few weeks back – not just replacement vines but new varietals.  We also formed a new team – a variety of backgrounds and experiences.  All of this newness means we learn together, we relearn what we thought we knew in our last plantings, we revisit mistakes previously made (hopefully don’t make them again) and we challenge the norms.  A few things to reflect back on – the common mistakes we all have made, watched our peers make or been cautioned about.  They really are common sense but maybe that’s why they are common mistakes – we often focus on the hard stuff and miss the easy stuff.  What are some common mistakes?  Pretty easy list really – balancing the rain with the need to spray (spray before it rains or wait)?  If we wait, can we get back in to spray in a timely fashion?  What about the REI (restricted entry interval – which is important if the tasting room is right next to the vineyards)?  What about PHI (pre-harvest interval – important to balance the grape chemistry, growing conditions and expected harvest times [especially when your harvest crew is weekend volunteers])? Grow tubes – how long do we keep them on? Weed wacking or herbicide?  Fertilize?  How best to approach a balanced vine (fruit and foliage)?  If you have different varietals, how best to manage the individual needs of each?  There is no absolute, no one way it should always be done and no one answer for every season.  Reflection, inspection, observation and contemplation are often the best guide and in my experience, communication.

The new blocks certainly deserve and get a lot of attention.  Establishing them correctly and deliberately is essential.  The precision used in marking the rows and vine placement, the ground prep, the actual planting and watering, the constant checking of the grow tubes and bamboo support to ensure a straight truck, all of it – important and constant because you can’t easily replant a vineyard.  And planting the vineyard isn’t all of it – there is watering, weed control and parallel effort for trellising & fencing.  Planning for the new vineyards took a fair amount of time and focus and much effort was spent in establishing the right vision with the new team.  It isn’t about getting it done – it is about getting it done correctly. 

The first time around (2007), it was work but it was a labor of love and we didn’t know what we didn’t know.  We studied and read, we asked for advice and listened, we interned and volunteered, we talked and planned.  But it was a singular focus – grow grapes.  There was no winery.  There was no tasting room.  There was no business to run.  There was no brand to protect.  Just, grow grapes.  Worry about the rest later.  This time around, all those lessons learned come into play.  But it’s a new team – they don’t know the lessons and they don’t know what they don’t know. 

It’s later.  Fast forward 9 years – existing vineyards in place.  They need care and attention too and their needs are very different than the new vineyards.  They need to be combed, crop balanced, suckered, weeded, sprayed, and the list goes on.  The existing vineyards are the focus for the coming vintage.  We are only two months away from harvest.  What is our previous experience with these varietals?  How did the weather play into it?  Have our viticulture practices remained consistent?  What did we learn from the previous harvests that we want to ensure we benefit from in this harvest?  Were we happy with the grapes?  Were we happy with the wine? 

New team – new vineyard manager (luckily, we still have Richard through this harvest season and then adhoc as needed), new winemaker, new tasting room team, new events to coordinate!  And, more elements to manage – we have a winery; we have a tasting room; we have a business to run; we have a brand to manage & protect, and yes, we still need to grow good grapes.    Hopefully all the new energy can benefit from previous experience so we can innovate and create something even better than what we have today.  Many of our guests have become part of the experience (and extended team) – we benefit from their energy and ideas as well.  The singular emphasis and laser focused purpose of nine years ago has grown into a lifestyle, a family, a tapestry, a community where everyone that engages with us makes us better and every experience we have makes us healthier.  We won’t avoid mistakes, oversights and missteps.  To overcome these, the anticipation is that the renewed beginnings come with collaborative alignment, strong communication, shared patience, collective vision and resilient resolve.  And of course, continued support from our friends, guests and community.