So Much for Spring
It’s been a chilly and occasionally wet week, so after an early budbreak, things are progressing slowly now. There doesn’t appear to be a chance of freeze or frost in the next week, so that’s good – just means that the mild winter isn’t ready to completely relent to spring. At least not just yet....
Budswell & Budbreak
On April 7th I found significant budswell in my vineyard – predominately in the Chardonnay rows. The photo here shows a few swollen buds with a fuzzy dog in the background. Over the 7th and 8th I rushed to complete my vine training (I was hoping for at least another week to do this). I...
What Happened to 2011?
Anyone who knows me or follows this blog couldn’t help but notice that I took 2011 off. It wasn’t deliberate (well, sort of) but I am going to pick back up in 2012. So what did happen to 2011? Well, in Long Island, 2011 was quite a challenging year. It was cooler and wetter than...
Winemaker Smackdown!
Here’s Tracy posing for her Winemaker Smackdown photo. What’s a Winemaker Smackdown you ask? Well, it’s what happens when you get a really creative media and marketing guy from Roanoke Vineyards and you set him loose on the local wine talent. Scott Sandell began as (and still is) an artist, but he has more recently...
As Winter Ends…
It’s been a long winter here in Long Island. And all around New York. And, frankly, around the world (but I guess that’s always true). Here are a few points of emphasis: New York had the third snowiest season on record. And there’s a chance of accumulation in some areas later this week. After a...
How Wine Saved My Life
This headline may be hyperbole, but, depending on your view, perhaps not so much… A few weeks ago Tracy and I were vacationing in New Zealand. Our trip was split between four wine regions filling about half the trip and the other half focusing on New Zealand cultural and adventure activities. It was a totally...
Petiole Sample and Nutrients
Today was the day for application of organic soil amendments. In addition to the drought this season, it turns out that my vines have quite a nutrient imbalance. Even though my soil tested rather well, the uptake into the vines can be impacted by lots of other factors – including water (or lack thereof). Earlier...
Grape Ripening Update
Well, I thought I might get my first harvest this year (year 4) but, alas, it is not to be. While “hot and dry” are great conditions for grape growing, “drought” is quite another story. And an experienced vineyard manager with irrigation options can manage through a drought, but an amateur like me still has...
Natural Cork Ad Campaign
The NY Times has a great write up about a current ad campaign for natural cork. The article titled “Ads Urge Wineries to Stick a Cork in It” really appeals to me since my day job is in advertising and, well, you all know about my crazy vineyard hobby. Basically, the Portuguese cork industry is...
New Threat: Hurricane Earl?
After seeing the storm forecast this morning, I began to get mildly concerned about Hurricane Earl. But before I could post my feelings on this, I saw that New York Cork Report covered this topic – including a few winemaker interviews from the region. This pretty much covers the concerns locally, but how about my...
Foodies: @4foodnyc Preview Meals
Foodies: if you are in or around midtown NYC, try to get yourself a preview meal @4foodnyc. 4food is a new restaurant opening in about a week with the tag line “dejunking fast food” and the place is decked out in technology and social media to make you Twitter-heads feel right at home. First, there...
Veraison in Merlot
Veraison in a single Merlot cluster on August 7, 2010. This is about two weeks ahead earlier than the average.
