Springtime in the Vineyards
Springtime is one of the most beautiful and refreshing seasons in the Anderson Valley. The transition from cool and crisp winter weather to the warm and pleasant temperatures that come in spring is one we look forward to each and every year—and it calls for a time of reflection and rebirth, not only at our winery but also in our daily lives. From jumping head-first into new outdoor activities to getting our hands dirty in the vineyards, we’re doing it all with a sense of revival.
As spring is the more quiet time of year to go tasting and the vines are yet to grow grapes for harvest, many come to the assumption that this is the time to sit back and relax—this is far from the truth. If anything, springtime is a particularly crucial period in a vineyard’s annual cycle and is one that can and will decide the success of the vine’s fruit growth. Managing it all takes numerous hours of hard work and dedication.
The first step in this process is going through the cover crop. After mowing down the growth and tilling it into the soil comes one of the most crucial steps in managing the vines: pruning. With the help of Norman and his crew members, pruning is much more than the simple removal of last year’s dormant shoots. Pruning helps set the stage for the upcoming growing season by arranging the shoots for this year’s crop and refining the environment where the new grapes will grow. And for that, we’re eternally grateful for the hardworking team that comes out to do this meticulous process for us.
The First Signs of New Growth
As the vines will soon be exiting their dormancy period, bud break is literally days As the vines will soon be exiting their dormancy period, bud break is literally days away. Bud break is the first stage of the vine cycle that brings new and budding green growth. This is when the vineyard magically transforms from its bare and brown state to a flourishing field of green within just a few weeks, ultimately giving us a preview for what’s to come for this year’s fruit.
Prepping for the Year to Come
During the spring months, we use this time to work on cleaning up not only the vineyard but also the property from the winter rains. This involves everything from mowing weeds, trimming trees, and otherwise tending to the landscape—making our entire estate a tidy and manicured place to spend time with our guests.
This time is also when we bottle our aromatic wines: Rosé of Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, and our new Sauvignon Blanc. These wines are resting comfortably in our warehouse, with an expected debut around our April wine club shipment.
Furthermore, the late winter/early spring season is when Matt and Ken focus on the upcoming harvest, including any changes to the line-up. We’re excited to foreshadow that we are close to adding another Anderson Valley Pinot Noir to our portfolio from a vineyard near Boonville. While we’ll keep the exact details of this addition a mystery for a while, we will say that it will give us our first opportunity to produce a Pinot from the warmer end of the Anderson Valley, compared to our Deep End Pinots.
Visit our Winery Estate
While we love to educate and share as much as we can about what’s going on in our vineyards these days, there’s nothing quite like seeing this springtime growth for yourself. Our boutique Anderson Valley winery offers a welcoming staff to greet you with their expertise of our award-winning wines, along with expansive vineyard views for you to see the current and upcoming vineyard stages of bud break, flowering, fruit set, and veraison first-hand.
We’re open for weekend outdoor wine tastings Friday through Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Reservations are recommended and walk-ins are welcome, based on availability. Feel free to bring your furry friends too—our tasting room is dog-friendly. We look forward to hosting you soon!
