As the pink and purple faces emerge in the beautifully well formed bunches, harvest is said to be 90 days out.  Sugar is already reaching 11 & 12 brix.

With this hot weather, the grapes are so happy. If you look at the shoots and stems, you can see that they are ripening and starting to change from green to red to brown. The big stems will now be known as ‘CANE’. In a very short while (next couple of weeks), the grapes will start to turn red as well…. it is called ‘VERAISON’. It is so pretty and very exciting when they start to change color.

Walking through the vineyards for this morning, our first glimpse of tiny ‘bud break’. The fresh young shoots of leaves and cane pushing skyward. They are tiny but here they come. It is still raining a lot, which is good… and it is still chilly.

That warm weather we had a few weeks ago teased us into thinking buds would come early. When that happens, fear of a late frost in April is always looming… Keeping our fingers crossed for a fabulous growing season.