Almost Finished Pruning – 30 Acres Done, 2 to Go!
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.
Vineyard
Hand Pruning the Vineyard 2017
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!
Precision Pruning Using the Pellenc TRP 2017
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.
Pre-Pruning the Vineyard 2017
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!
Preparing for Vineyard Expansion
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
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.
Making Wine – Crushing 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…
Grape Harvest 2016
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!
Roussane Grapes and Bunch Rot
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!
Veraison and Cluster Counts = Ripening Grapes!
The grapes are ripening and the race is on the find the ripest ones before anyone else does! We are taking a quick break from tucking the vines (canopy management) to do cluster counts. This is exciting because we find out how many tons of grapes to expect at harvest!