One thing is for sure; growing wine grapes is never boring. 2009, like most years in the recent past, is one to keep you guessing. We started with another dry “rainy season” and then caught unexpected and significant rainfall in May. As soon as folks comment on the cool, springtime weather, we get unusually hot spells in May and late June. Toss in a season with very high powdery mildew pressure and you’ve got potential for sleepless nights. It’s what growers thrive on.

As I walk the vineyards now, I’m seeing berry size variability becoming a little less obvious. Grape varieties that ripen earlier are sizing up from little BBs to pea size. As a whole, we are about 5-7 days behind in growth than the 5-year average. Canopies look good and in some cases, the canopies are more full than I’ve seen in recent years. I find this interesting since, if you recall, we had shorter than desired shoots at bloom.

Presently, many growers are exploring both foliar and water applied fertilizer. Remember though, it’s all about balance in the vineyard, on the vine and in life.

Mitchell