In every newsletter, Paul updates what is happening in the vineyard or on our farm in general.

Spring is making its way past winter. Barbara will be making her way over the not snowy enough mountains on Thursday.

Yakima Valley agriculture is dependent on precipitation in the Cascade Mountains, especially the snowpack which feeds the river system. Without irrigation, there are no crops. Currently, the forecast is our district will get only 70% of our full allocation. No worries for vineyards we only need 30%, BUT, sometimes the system gets shut down mid-season which can be a critical time for crop development.

One reason we bought this farm is the very deep soil. This gives us a large reservoir for the vines so they can go a long time before severe leaf-dropping stress.

Spring has been in the normal range, with no records broken. Yay! The cold in January, sub-zero, has caused variable damage to the vines around SE Washington. That is in the normal range. We expect winter cold to damage vines every few years.

The effect this year is puzzling. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually one of the least injured by winter freezing, Chenin Blanc is considered tender. We and others are finding a lot of dead buds in Cabernet Sauvignon. Our Chenin Blanc is almost unscathed. Hmmm?!

The level of damage will reduce the crop a bit since we have way too many vineyard acres for the demand, you won’t find shelves empty or big price increases.

I anticipate our crop total to be in the normal range, the light end.