Sun Feb 26 2023
Last week's winter storm dropped almost a 1/2 inch of rain. It also brought along 50mph winds and that pretty much dislodged all the available tumbleweed in the adjacent open fields and sent it to our fence and then over the fence and into the vineyard.
A vineyard is amazingly efficient at capturing rolling tumbleweed. It's got miles of trellis wire and thousands of vines to catch and hold onto those noxious weeds.
Tumbleweed is something you've got to get out of the vineyard and there is no equipment I know of to help with the removal other than old-fashioned legs and arms. Yesterday morning we started to win the battle. Conditions were good to burn the piles we've been making since the storm. Once you get a pile burning you go fetch more tumbleweed from the vines and throw it on the fire.
Wed Feb 15 2023
The wind was a-howling well into last night and then went quiet to drop this stuff for our viewing pleasure this morning.
Break out the sleds!
And it's a good day to bottle rosé.
Mon Feb 13 2023
Pea-size sleet driven by a brisk, cold wind came pelting down pretty hard today and caught me and Spotte outside on our walk. Ouch!
At least one overnight temperature this week is in the teens, and there's also rain and snow in the forecast, so we changed our minds and decided to give Mother Nature a helping hand and put a pause on pruning until this wintry weather passes.
I spent most of today in the winery filtering the rosé. We will use up another one of these awful stormy days and stay inside to put it into bottle. And you know, we think it's pretty good!
Today's storm moved into New Mexico by evening. Then the stars came out in dazzling force in a clear dark sky without moon or clouds in the way. The Big Dipper was magnificent in a vertical orientation standing on its handle and emptying to the west. Opposite that, I followed Cassiopeia's triangle pointer, hoping I might find the Andromeda galaxy with my bare eyes, but no, I got out the binoculars and there it was. Amazing!
Sat Feb 11 2023
My it's been a cold January and February. Nights are still in the 20s. It got to 21 last night and we've got overnights even colder in the teens coming up this week.
I forgot to shut off and drain the outside hose yesterday and now the faucet is frozen open so I'm crossing my fingers nothing is broken. Unless it's obvious, you can't tell until the day gets on and things warm up and you suddenly hear water running outside from a broken hose.
I like to say the only thing typical about the weather is that it's not typical, but typical winter here is over in January, and if not that, February. That's when we start pruning.
We don't like to prune when the overnight temps are so far below freezing. Pruning opens up cut wounds on the vines and that lets the cold air in close to those buds. But we are up against it now with bud break getting closer. Sometimes you just need to leave things with Mother Nature and let her take care of it. After all, grapevines have survived for thousands of years on their own, without our help, through all kinds of weather.
Thu Feb 9 2023
I was in Phoenix for deliveries and errands and got honked at in morning traffic. First in line at a stop-light cross walk and the car in the next lane wasn't moving either while waiting for people and cars to clear. The guy behind me didn't have even two seconds to spare in his day. I know, I used to be like him. Now I drive like a farmer and this event reminded me how happy I am that I don't live in the big city any more!
Tue Feb 7 2023
Out for the morning walk with Spotte and off she goes, nose to the ground, running a zig-zag course through the vineyard. Must be on the scent trail of one of the feral cats making the rounds last night. Hope the cat munched on a ground squirrel!
Pruning started yesterday. 5 ½ rows done. Millions of rows to go. Pruning is the great equalizer. Big vines, small vines, pretty vines, ugly vines, they all look alike once they are pruned, and one vineyard looks pretty much like any other.
Still cold though. It's 21 this morning. Don't like that so much when we are pruning with those cuts open and letting those frigid temperatures into those open wounds so close to the buds. But the cold means the vines are still sleeping and bud break is still a ways off.
The 2023 bottling effort beings today with the Sauvignon Blanc harvested last summer. We think it's pretty good!