Vineyard

This year’s Montepulciano grape harvest was the earliest we have ever had for this grape variety! Normally harvested the end of September and into October, we are a month earlier but I’m not complaining!

Having a winery is a logical step when you have a vineyard. We knew that one day we wanted to start our own winery. Well, that “one day” has come. It is very exciting to start getting ready to open Oswald Winery.

This year has been a roller coaster with our Roussanne grapes thanks once again to bunch rot. Thankfully, we beat the rot and have harvested all but one acre of Roussanne so far. Unlike other harvests though, we battled angry bees!

Last year, for the first time we dealt with bunch rot in the vineyard. This year, thanks once again to cool temps, lots of rain and humidity, we are battling the beast again.

The vineyard is beautiful and green – that means the vines are growing! It is now our job to make sure they are in the best possible shape to be able to ripen the grapes! Raising the wires for the tendrils to grow on is what is going on now!

Now that the new planting of Albarino is growing so well, it is time to think about canopy management. That means getting all the posts in place to hold the wires that the vines will grow on.

We have finally finished our 2017 vineyard expansion with the last acre of Albarino vines. Because these were live plants rather than the bench grafts, we decided to row water them in – boy did that bring back memories!

Planting grapevines is always such an exciting time of year because it means we are growing! Adding 5 acres this year, brings the vineyard right up to the driveway of our house and I am soooo excited!