As we approach the 2010 Harvest, it has already been a crush to remember.  This will be remembered as the harvest of no heat.  Here in California, normally we have weeks of 90 to 100 degree weather but not this year.  It has been overcast and very cool all over the state.  As we begin August, we are already thinking that we are at least two weeks behind schedule but it may be more.  Given this, the risk of the tail end of harvest approaching the rainy season increases.  This should be one wild ride.

This is also the time of the season where your winemaking team starts making regular visits into the vineyards to make sure our crop is being grown correctly and manicured appropriately.  We had one block of Pinot Noir this year that has been a bit of a struggle.  This block was very vigorous (rapid growth) and it was complicated further by a vineyard crew that missed some vital pruning.  So we made the decision to open up the canopy (the leaf coverage above the fruit) and prune a few extra shoots of each vine which should concentrate the vine’s efforts.  At this same time, we also asked that the grower drops a considerable volume of crop in order to get the vines back in balance.  As you can see in the pictures attached, the fruit is spaced out for good airflow and opened up for some sunlight on the fruit.

And as you can see as well, we had the grower drop a lot of fruit on the ground to make sure the remaining fruit gets the concentration we desire for our Smoking Loon and Crusher Pinot Noir programs.  It seems like a shame to drop this fruit but it is what is required for quality winemaking in the cellar.  You will also see that the Pinot Noir is starting to turn color known as veraison.  This is our indicator that these vines are changing their efforts from berry growth to berry ripening.  This block should be approaching perfect ripeness in 45-60 days all depending on the weather.

Wish us luck as harvest is upon us.