Full Bloom - Monday, June 17

Cooler temps, and occasional showers during the second week of the earliest bloom period in recent years.   Another week and we should have a good feel for crop loads this year, so far so good.

Dijon Clone 114:

Dijon Clone 115:

Wadenswil Clone:

Pommard Clone:

A Young Visitor:

It looks like temps in the 60s and 70s, with scattered showers for the rest of bloom; then warming into the mid-80s as we move through fruit set.  Heading for an early harvest this season.

Wednesday, June 5 - First Signs of Bloom

Strong, intensely aromatic smells of pinot flowers blowing through the vineyard.

Sunny, clear, low- to mid-80s this past week, putting us well into bloom.  Sunny, dry, upper-60s to low-70s forecasted; the vines should be in full bloom this week; looks like an early harvest.


We'll see where fruit set leaves us yield-wise, but so far we're having a good, healthy bloom this year.   

Shooting to the Top Wire

Hot & dry, cold & wet, hot & dry, cold & wet...the wet just ended.

The shoots have 11 to 13 open leaves, are nearing the top wire, and have, healthy sets of future flowers.

 

Dijon Clone 114

Dijon Clone 115

Wadenswil Clone

 

Pommard Clone

We had just under 3 inches of rain during May, about 3/4 of an inch more than normal, all in the last half of the month.  Cumulative rainfall since last October is 32.9", about 3 inches less than normal.

We had 230 Heating degree days in May, the warmest May in recent years.  The daily high temps were 15 to 20 degrees warmer than normal during the dry first half of the month, 5 to 10 degrees cooler than normal during the rainy last half of the month.  May extended the 2013 trend of higher than normal heating degree days, ending at a cumulative total of 344 heating degree days.  

The current forecast for the next 30 days shows dryer than normal conditions with temperatures slightly higher than normal.  I hesitate to say this, but if the forecast holds we may have one of the first decent bloom periods in several years...

A preview of coming attractions: