Bud Break and Vine Care

Now that the vineyard team has completed pruning, it is time to wait.  The plants slowly begin to wake up from dormancy. The vine does most of the work at this stage, but still requires a delicate balance of monitoring and care.

As they wait, the vineyard team sets off to perform ground maintenance, such as mowing and weeding. Also, taping down last year’s remaining cordons to encourage new growth.  When they tie and tape the vines to the trellis, they monitor the buds to ensure that the work done during pruning was adequate, adjusting as they see fit.  Soon the buds will open, and the vineyard will be lush with green.

Daily monitoring of weather allows the team to keep a close eye on the performance of the fields. Temperatures, moisture, and wind all affect the timing and care of the vines.  The warmer the spring, the quicker new growth will happen. If the weather is cooler, bud break will become slightly delayed.  From the time a bud begins to swell, and the time it breaks open is, on average, two to three weeks.  

Once bud break is in full swing, the team can see clues as to how bountiful harvest might be. Flowering clusters encourage natural pollination and berry development begins. The grapes go through enlargement and veraison (click here to learn more about veraison) before they become mature. Our team continuously maintains the amount of leaf cover when the grapes begin to grow. This allows control over the sun and airflow to reach the fruit, aiding in ripening and sugar development. 
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All of the work completed over the winter and early spring ensures a bountiful harvest of grapes in the fall.