 Sometime in April the tiny buds explode with what will be new leaves. This is called "bud burst"
|
|
 The area between the vine rows, called the “middles” is seeded with legumes and crimson clover. These plants will pull nutrients from the soil. In late spring this vegetation will be cut and blown under the vines where the nutrients will become available to the vines in future vintages.
|
 During late May, the tiny clusters will bloom resulting in tiny white flowers. If the weather is gentle during bloom we will have a good "set" and each tiny green node will grow up to be a pinot noir grape.
|
|
 In late summer the berries increase in size and the clusters are formed. At this point the grapes are hard and green.
|
 In late summer the fruit goes through “veraison”
where the grapes turn from green to pink to dark purple. The grapes will begin to soften, become sweeter and the flavors will begin to develop.
|
|
 When the fruit reaches optimum maturity, they are harvested by hand.
|
 The fruit is carried to the bins. Harvesting is done in the morning so the fruit is cold.
|
|
 The clusters are placed in the bins for transporting to the nearby winery and any leaves are removed.
|
