It was excessively wet weather during bloom this year which has affected set which affects yield which affects the amount of fruit that we can sell. It has taken us until now to begin to determine the final tally of losses because it is just too hard to find clusters without having the leaves removed first which we are now doing as part of our efforts to increase light exposure on just the morning side of the vine rows through leaf removal.

Early Assessment Results:

Cabernet – down 25-35%
Zinfandel – down 25% (this may have also been an issue of damaged fruiting buds during the heat wave that specifically damaged Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel vines last year)
Sauvignon blanc – down 25-45%
Sauvignon musque – down 25-45%
Viognier – down 25-45%

Other Varieties (normal or slightly below normal):

Merlot
Malbec
Petit verdot
Petite sirah
Chardonnay

Unfortunately, I just will not have the abundance of Cabernet to sell that I normally do but there should be enough of other varieties to make everyone happy!

Due to the frost losses that we, along with so many others, experienced in 2008 due to freaky La Nina related Spring frosts, I thought I would revisit this topic as we are in another La Nina weather pattern.

The most intriguing aspect of freezing events is the way air flows from higher to lower areas just like a stream of water. This river of air will flow down hills into valleys, moving around slightly higher valley floor areas, pooling in lower valley floor basins and stopping if impeded by a row of trees, a raised berm, levee or fence. (Image courtesy of Mercy Olmstead, PhD, University of Florida-IFAS)

So, what can one do passively to decrease the chance of freezing injury?

1) Mow the cover crop as low as possible to allow sunlight to reach the ground and warm it during the day. That warmth will be released back into the air at night.

2) Provide as much undisturbed bare earth around the vines as possible. Do not cultivate or disc just before a potential frost. If cultivation is needed follow the disc with a roller then wet thoroughly. No sprinkler system? Then do this when rain is forecast so that the large air spaces that are formed during cultivation are reduced. No compaction (large air spaces) or dry soil decreases the ability of the soil to hold the warmth of the sun.

3) The most interesting thing that I learned this Spring is that 99% of ice nucleation between 23-32F is, in fact, facilitated by bacteria! One could possibly reduce the population of ice-nucleating bacteria before a freeze and reduce the formation of frost and accompanying frost damage by using copper or zinc. It is also possible to introduce a non-ice-nucleating bacteria to out compete the ice-nucleating bacteria. Cover crops are often reservoirs of ice-nucleating bacteria so mowing the cover crop and reducing the vegetation can be helpful.

I will update this blog entry as we move through April to see how our passive frost efforts work!

Timeline:

Week of April 3-9 – Possible cold weather forecasted for the end of the week so all cover crops are mown. Chard, Petite sirah and Petit verdot given their first fungicide application that includes the micronutrient zinc on Friday, the day before a significant frost is forecast.

Week of April 10-16 – a few days in the high 30′s but no frost here!

Week of April 17-23 – no frost forecast due to unsettled, cloudy weather.

If you would prefer to select your own wine and have the privilege of having it sent directly to your home, write your elected representatives and express your concerns!

Here are a few blogs that have written about this issue and links to their thoughts!

Tom Wark – “The Lies and Fallacies Behind the Wine Bill HR 1161″

Dr. Vino – “HR 1161: The Threat to Wine Shipping, Part II”

Vinography – “Why Every Wine Lover Needs to Call Their Representative in Congress”

UPDATED BLOG POSTS:

ShipCompliant BLOG (Guest Post by Wendell Lee of the Wine Institute)
– HR 1161: The Great Constitutional Head Fake

ShipCompliant BLOG (Guest Post by Cary Greene of WineAmerica)
- What Scholars Have to Say About the CARE Bill

Budbreak occurs over a number of days – the length of this growth stage is determined by the variety, location and weather. Here are some of our own pictures to explain the stages of budbreak:

	Growth Stage – Sprouting – Code 05 – brown “wool” clearly visible
	Growth Stage – Sprouting – Code 07 – beginning of budbreak – green shoot tips just visible
	Growth Stage – Sprouting – Code 09 – budbreak – green shoot tips clearly visible
	Growth Stage – Sprouting – Code 09 – budbreak – green shoot tips slightly opened
	Growth Stage – Leaf Development – some leaves unfolded

We will be adding the budbreak information from this year as it happens! Here is the information we have so far:

2011 Order of Budbreak by Varietal:

Chardonnay
Petite sirah
Petit verdot
Viognier
Sauvignon musque
Sauvignon blanc
Zinfandel
Merlot
Malbec
Cabernet

This Spring has been an interesting mix of really warm and really cold weather that has definitely affected budbreak. It warmed as Chardonnay was in the middle of budbreak hastening that process while also encouraging the Petite sirah, Petit verdot and Viognier. Then it got quite cold and has stalled the rest of the varieties as the buds struggle to open. Another interesting year!

Highly recommended, I’ve gone for several years to exercise my palate and taste for winemaking trends. Normally Saturday is quite lively with Sunday the quieter day as those who partied too hard Saturday night not making the second of FOUR days of tasting (or SIX if you count two Fridays!)

UPDATE: We again had a blast seeing the vintage varietal differences across many different winemaking styles. Rain on both Sundays kept some indoors but we enjoyed the quieter crowds on those days. A noticeable trend at many wineries was the strong emphasis on their wine clubs. To keep their customers intrigued, these wineries are making very small vineyard designate lots only for wine club members. How fun to be able to taste the differences between vineyards across the same vintage!

I am not the only one who thinks so! Ed Sbragia, quoted in the Sonoma-Marin Farm News, said “2010 was a trying year if you are a grape grower, but 2010 is an awesome year if you are a winemaker.” Rob Davis concurs with “In my 35 years as winemaker at Jordan, I’ve never seen fruit quality this good…The flavors are complex and intense, offering tannin content that is so beautifully balanced.”