Vineyard Diary 3-30-20

It’s been an interesting start to the 2020 vintage to say the least. Weather-wise, it was a suitably cold but by no means frigid winter that coughed up a little rain in December, very little in January, and not a drop in February. March has come to the rescue with around 8 inches of rain, just in time to get the soil profile filled with moisture and for the warming temperatures to get some green growth started. Budburst is still barely visible in our earliest grape varietals–held back in part by late pruning of last year’s wood–but seems sure to burst forth in earnest later this week. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 virus and the measures to slow its spread are having a major impact on life in general, though farming generally goes on…social distancing comes relatively naturally in the vineyard. That said, local commercial wineries face closures of tasting rooms during what is normally a busy time of year for wine-tasting in the Sierra Foothills when temperatures are still cool enough to enjoy a red wine and it is particularly scenic, with green hillsides and snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Completely independent of the COVID-19 situation, we had decided to scale back our grape growing this year to give ourselves a break from the routine, and this is reflected in our recently posted current grape availability. We are planning to farm our Touriga, a limited amount of Barbera, and are again selling grapes from our Quinta block of Portugese varietals as “shares”. As Tempranillo yield has been slowly declining over the years, we are adding a couple adjacent short rows of Tempranillo planted in 2004 to the Quinta, which we have been otherwise selling separately. These will enable buyers, with one-stop (a single designated Saturday TBD in mid-Sept to mid-Oct period) to pick up a field blend of our Portugese varietals in 250-lb with suitable ripeness for either a fortified (port-style) wine or as a complex red. We continue farming activities in the balance of the vineyard as normal for now, and will be making a final decision in the May time frame in terms of seeking a crop from our Primitivo and the balance of our Barbera. Please inquire if you have interest in these beyond posted quantities.

Current Grape Availability 3-30-20

Varietal Amount Still Available for Sale (tons) Expected Optimal Harvest Time Price ($)
Barbera            0.5 Mid Sept 1.00/lb
Primitivo ON HOLD* Early Sept 1.00/lb
Touriga WAITLIST Mid Sept-Mid Oct 1.00/lb
Quinta***                 10 shares Mid Sept-Early Oct $300/share
       
       

*Not currently planned for production this year, but final decision in May 2020.  Inquire for more  information.

**Wait list requests on a first-come, first-served basis.  Wait list does not commit to purchase, but should grapes become available, persons/entities on wait list will have 24 hr to commit or not, at which point the next person/entity will be contacted, and so on, until grapes are sold.  

***The Quinta = A field of touriga nacional, tempranillo, tinta cao, souzao, tinta amarela planted in 2004 and 2005.  One share entitles holder to 250 lb of a field blend of Quinta grapes in the proportions that they are harvested this year.  For example, if 40% of the total Quinta production is Touriga, then 40% of each shareholder’s 250 lb allotment will be Touriga.  Harvest will be on a single, specific Saturday to accommodate home winemakers, with date optimized around ripeness of the Touriga Nacional.  The Quinta has historically provided superb grapes for a port-style blend as well as dry red blend.

***Wait list requests on a first-come, first-served basis.  Wait list does not commit to purchase, but should grapes become available, persons/entities on wait list will have 24 hr to commit or not, at which point the next person/entity will be contacted, and so on, until grapes are sold.