Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains
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Harvest! Labor Day brought in the
grapes this year. After yet another weather phenomenon, this time 3 days of 100+
degrees F temperatures, the grapes rushed to finish.
Pinot Noir started off the
picking this year, well ahead of the Chardonnay. Early numbers looked good. This was definitely a year to
monitor the water in the vineyard. Interestingly, two vineyards that I am aware
of that are completely non-irrigated came through the heat with little damage.
For the irrigated vineyards the only defense was to turn that water on. Many
grapes have come in with superb numbers, excellent seed maturity, and happy
winemakers. Some growers had issues with dehydration, high Brix, and immature flavors. In some cases,
these problems can be addressed with proper water management late in the season.
Look to next year for a meeting focusing on this vital topic. As much work as it
is to get the grapes in, it sure feels good to be looking at the end of
September with this much of the harvest behind us. Of course there are still
many varieties left to go, and overall quality is looking absolutely suburb. Bon
appetit! Besides a fabulous harvest,
Santa Cruz Mountain winegrape growers have a lot to be proud of this season. The
first ever display by the Viticulture Association of
the Santa Cruz Mountains went up this year at the Santa Cruz County Fair.
Special thanks to Mary Lindsay, Judy and Jim Schultze, Barbara and Peter
Woodruff, and Ted Remde for their time and creativity in actually creating and
putting up the display and taking it down again. Thank you also to the
volunteers who staffed the booth off and on throughout the Fair. I heard many
positive comments from fairgoers, many of whom have little understanding of our
appellation. If you have any suggestions or want to be part of the exhibit
planning next year, please let us know. We also got a beautiful, permanent
vineyard photo display board that we can use in many public events to let people
know about our unique and marvelous appellation. Special thanks to Patty Hinz
Imagery for her devotion and attention to detail in producing these stunning
pieces. Another major
accomplishment is the establishment of the VASCM winegrape Exchange – a simple
and effective way to advertise your grapes or your need for grapes to the people
who want to know. Thanks to Mary Lindsay and Ed Muns for their innovation on
this one! Be sure and check out our
new website as well, at www.vascm.org. Maybe
the Viticulture Association has arrived in the new millennium after all. We have also enjoyed
bi-monthly meetings all year that are designed to relate to the season and the
work at hand. Our next meeting will focus on post-harvest vine nutrition. The
speaker will be Pete Christensen, retired UC researcher, educator and well known
and respected expert in this field. Please
come prepared with your vine nutrition and field sampling questions.
Ted Remde arranged for this very special presentation and we are grateful
for his efforts. Speaking of post harvest,
remember our work is not quite finished. Picking those pesky grapes is
just a part of the miraculous cycle of the vine and it’s fruit formation.
Don’t miss this important opportunity to replenish depleted nutrients in the
vine and supply much needed water before the vines go dormant. Just as some
people need a good snack before a long sleep, so the vines need to get their
fill before settling down for a long, well deserved winter’s nap. During the
weeks following harvest the roots of the vine are poised to uptake nutrients and
assimilate them into storage in preparation for next spring. This is an
incredible opportunity to feed your vines and ensure a healthy start next year.
Don’t miss it. Review your spring petiole samples or soil samples to determine
what your vines need. Most vines need the major supplements, Nitrogen,
Phosphorus, and Potassium, as well as a dose of micronutrients to get them off
to a good start next year. Of course you don’t want to overdo the Nitrogen, or
any of the nutrients, but in most cases it is vital to replenish reserves
depleted during this year’s fruit production. Also consider putting in a
fall cover crop. Cover crops will
hold the soil, improve organic matter, and help control erosion.
Certain seeds, like bell beans, fava beans, or the fancier peas, vetch,
and annual clovers, all produce nitrogen in the soil as well as provide other
benefits like good homes for beneficial microorganisms. In some cases, growers
can meet or nearly meet their nitrogen needs solely through the use of these
cover crops. It is important to get your cover crops in before the big rains
start or it gets too cold. This will help control potential damage from the
later, heavier rains as well as allow for germination. Many cover crops require
the warm fall soils in order to come up. If
you are late (say late November or December) in getting seed in you can still
benefit from a cold germinating seed like barley. Barley will not produce
nitrogen, but it will hold the soil and add organic matter. Bell beans may still
come up at this late date, just not as well, and they won’t grow as big. There
are a million opinions regarding cover crops, but on one thing we can all agree.
Cover crops are good for the soil and good for the vines. Plant them. By the way, if you are
enjoying and benefiting from the regular meetings, newsletter, web exchange,
etc., please be sure to renew your dues. Some members are way behind and taking
a free ride. Staff time is 100% volunteer but there are still expenses like this
newsletter that need to be paid. Please support your organization as you reap
the benefits of membership. If you’ve let your dues fall behind please update
at the next meeting. Thank you! So, after you’ve fed and
watered your vines, and covered their soil with a nice warm cover crop blanket,
and paid your local Viticulture Association annual dues, it is indeed, time to
take a break. That’s the great
part of being a grower. Now is the
time to try some of that wine that comes from all this work. Be sure and have
the winery you work with provide you with some samples so that you can try the
fruits of your labor as well as work together toward an even finer product next
year. Enjoy and congratulations
on a fabulous season! Salud! - Prudy Foxx (Vine Talk column, October 2004) |
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