Blogs
October 2023 – Harvest
Fall was upon us, and with it the harvest. Summer hadn’t completely loosened its grip. Temps were mild but unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets originating in August still ruled the roost. While I harvested a small amount of my Pinot Noir in September, the Riesling and the valley’s bounty was yet to come. And come it did.
September 2023 – Water
The month of August ended with a Yellow Jacket apocalypse but September began with hope. The vines were doing great and summer’s heat had waned. Was harvest on the horizon? Did the viticultural gods still have a few tricks to play? Answers to both were not far off.
Traveling the West Elks Wine Trail
There aren’t many American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) with wine events providing the level of intimacy, information, and scenery available as the West Elks Wine Trail. Sponsored by the West Elks AVA, the opportunity to visit up to 10 wineries providing a wide breadth of offerings over a three-day weekend couldn’t be passed up.
July 2023
Vineyard tending took a few days off in early July due to a long Independence Day weekend and family visits. Covered in June’s Chronicles, the previous month was filled with keeping vines pruned and growing vertically, and remaining abreast of insects and critters determined to ruin my day.
June 2023
Not unlike two weeks in May when away from the vineyard due to grandparenting duties, we were also away the first three weeks of June visiting family in New England, and tending to out-of-town needs. Leaving my three-year-old tilled and pruned vineyard we came back to overgrown vines with weeds taking over.
May 2023
May is an exceedingly busy month in the vineyard. You must tend to new growth with vine trellis guiding and pruning, and also prepare for future year vineyard growth with supplemental planting to fill row gaps. Continued weeding is essential, along with beginning a spraying program to control powdery mildew and small critters.
April 2023
With winter beginning to loosen its grip, I had several items in store for April. All were important in getting everything ready for the growing season but paramount, was adding four new irrigation zones to the vineyard. Also in store, pruning, tightening up trellis wire, and hoeing weeds as they emerged.
January – March 2023
2022 proved an excellent growing season for second-year vines on Sunshine Mesa. Riesling was the most vigorous, Pinot Noir did well but in a slower less bodacious manner. With the first freeze in late October, the season was officially over. After the successful second season, my anticipation and excitement were high for what lay in store!
Living With the Land
Our intention when we moved to the North Fork Valley was not to live “off the land” but closely with it. Though my life experiences were city-based, my heartbeat was country. My father’s family were farmers in rural NE Texas. They truly lived off the land. With little money, they provided for themselves and bartered for much of their subsistence.
