It's an interesting time of year for all things vineyard-related. Not only are many of the vines beginning their "bud break" -- when the first leaves burst forth from the formerly dormant vines -- vineyard owners and managers are worried about the cold evenings... which mean possible frost damage. Yesterday I was hanging out in the vineyards with my friends at Nord Vineyards, and they passed on two remedies that they're doing at this time of year to prevent frost damage. One, it means getting up in the middle of the night to turn on the vineyard fans! The fans move air through the vineyard, again preventing frost from setting in. Secondly, they are mowing the cover crop which grows between the vineyard rows and prevents soil erosion during the winter rains. Why mow? Well, apparently the cold air gathers just above the grasses... which in this case, is almost directly in line with the now-blooming buds. Cut the cover crops, and the cold air drops closer to the ground... and away from the buds. Anyway, just some "cool" info regarding the vines the produce the grapes that turn into our wine!Cover crop before mowing:
Cover crop after mowing:
1 comment:
Wow! seems like a lot of work but it usually pays off with a great grape harvest
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