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!
We only have one more day of pruning! Happy dance time! As you can probably guess, we are excited not only to be finished but also about bud break in the vineyard.
We are booking through the vineyard hand pruning. an acre to two acres per day. We have even adjusted our lunch so that now we eat in the vineyard and get right back to work!
We have started precision pruning and boy, is it making a difference in the way the vineyard looks – I can’t wait to show it to you! It is exciting to be getting ready for a new growing season.
It seems that just as quickly as it started, it is over! Pre-pruning took about a week this year and all 32 acres are done. Oh what a difference it makes in the vineyard!
Working on the house is not the only thing happening during the warm weather. We are getting ready to expand the vineyard this spring by adding 5 more acres of grapes!
Making wine at home can be done with very little equipment. We use a crusher/destemmer and a bladder press. Both pieces of equipment were purchased from wineries that buy our grapes.
Well, harvest is over but there are always grapes left to glean! Because of the way our vine rows are set up, the last vine…
Aglianico and Montepulciano grapes are now gone! In one harvest filled week, grape harvest for 2016 is done! Almost anyway – we have to have some for our own wine making!
Bunch rot – we never thought we would battle this fungus in our vineyard. After all, we live in west Texas where it is dry and has ideal grape growing conditions!