In the past couple of weeks, the buds on the vines have swelled and some are beginning to open.

When we go through and hedge, we remove about a foot from the shoots which redirects the energy from the growth of the wine to caring for the grapes. It also tells the vine that we are reaching another level of maturity. I never read this in a book.

The most important task that we do in the vineyard is pruning. This morning I was driving my 2004 Ford F-150, “The Dustmobile”, through two rows of grapevines, admiring the pruning job. What we do in January and February determines what kind of grapes we get in September and October

This is the season of giving. How about giving yourself a break?