It’s no secret we are suffering from a severe drought that has been mounting for three years. Luckily, wine grape vineyards are not heavily irrigated in comparison to other crops. We irrigate from mid-July until the end of October and use minimal water, 75% less than most crops.

2012 and 2013 were dry years with less than half of an average year’s rainfall. From April 2013 through January 2014, we received just one inch of rain. A normal year would likely see 18 inches in that time.

Finally, rain arrived! November brought us five inches of rain. Light precipitation continued in December. Then came the forecast of a major storm on December 11, 2014. 

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When it comes to picking grapes, harvesting by machine is the best way in my book. It is incredibly efficient because the grapes go from being on the vine to crushed and into a chilled tank within the span of a half an hour. When grapes are picked by hand, that process takes a minimum of four hours.

If you visit Wine Country during Harvest and happen to take a drive in the middle of the night, you would almost certainly come across a machine harvester at work. Many people wonder why we harvest at night. It’s simple...

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There are two days of the year that I look forward
to the most in the vineyard…the first day of Harvest and the last.

This year the first day arrived earlier than normal, and that is just fine by me! The vineyard crew eagerly awaits this day all season. Our hard work has produced another bountiful crop, and there’s much excitement as we prepare to bring it in.

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