In every newsletter, Paul updates what is happening in the vineyard and on our farm in general.
First of all, Barbara is driving to Portland for a little vacation and then up to Seattle and then back to Zillah. Anywhere along this golden triangle is open for wine deliveries. Just let us know what you would like!
Don’t Panic! As it says on the cover of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Yes, we are retiring. Slooooowly over some years. We have wines yet to be bottled which means they won’t be for sale for years. We aren’t planning on starting any new production but do plan to finish what is in tanks and barrels. We will likely run out of our Rosé in three years. It will probably be the first to run out.
I am still optimistic we can find someone to carry on our mission of ingredient-labeled wine made from (not “with”) organic grapes grown without pesticides.
According to the EPA,
“Any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant. Any nitrogen stabilizer.”
By this definition, a jet of water to wash aphids off your plant is a pesticide. I approve of this definition.
When I say we have 11 vintages of making wine from grapes with Zero Pesticide use, I mean zero as in none. None of this subterfuge of “no synthetic pesticides,” “only natural pesticides,” only pesticides approved by . . . . Organic and Biodynamics both have long lists of approved pesticides. Some are highly controversial.
Except for water, pesticides are in some manner synthesized by humans. Soap? Yup, we make it. Oils? Yes, we process and refine them. An argument can be made that sulfur does naturally occur and is mined. It still gets significant processing. Throwing chunks at a vine won’t ameliorate fungus pressure!
Spring is moving along in the normal range of events. Apricot bloom is coming on strong; peaches are opening the first blossoms. The Spadefoot Toads and Chorus Frogs are busy reproducing, it’s very loud after sundown! The fogs are frucking! So to speak.
Vine bleeding just started today, March 25. That is when sap flow reaches the point where pruning wounds bleed. Sap flow is temperature dependent, soil temperature is more important than air temperature, but both are involved. Each cultivar has its own threshold. In our vineyard, Sangiovese is often first and Cabernet Sauvignon last.
Our wine, Sève, is named using the French word for sap: light, delicate taste but very powerful, loaded with vitamins and minerals and some sugars.
If you come to the valley for a visit, bring your camera and dog. We can direct you to a block of trees in full bloom where you can wander or picnic while pupper frolics. We can also provide directions for an off-road walk of 2-20 miles to nearby tasting rooms. Bicycling is a good way to enjoy our neighborhood, but if you aren’t a regular, hill-climbing rider, you may wear out in fewer miles than you’d expect. We aren’t flat! It’s all rolling hills.
I am scurrying to get the pruning done in the next two weeks while planting garden beds and refugiums planted to mixes of 15+ plant species with a focus on pollinators. Many are in the wasp family, which as adults are vegans feeding on pollen and nectar, as they hunt insects or insect eggs to feed their larvae. This is why we do not need insecticides; we use flowers not chemicals invented for wars. Habitat, baby, habitat!
