Tractor-side Wisdom at Bud Break

A few of us ventured last week to the Ianello Vineyard where, on a brilliant late-April day, we were treated to tractor-side wisdom from our Vineyard Manager, “Doctor” Steve Kornic.  We were shown young rows of cabernet franc.  These have been neatly pruned, leaving two canes to carry fruit, plus a third “renewal” cane, as insurance against the possibility of late frost, all in anticipation that these will provide their first fruit for harvest in the coming fall.

After five years in the ground, the roots of these young vines already reach two-to-three feet into the ground, deep enough to find water without the need for irrigation.  After a good night’s rest and a jolt of caffeine, Steve shared the following ruminations:

“As I sit in my chair sipping my morning coffee, listening to rain hammering the windows at 5 am, I reflect upon the old saying: April showers bring May flowers. Indeed, it has been a wet April.  The rain was timed just right to keep tractors out of the vineyard, teaching even the most impatient of us… patience.  As May opens, buds have opened on the vines.  Because they're so new and delicate, we will be watching the weather like hawks to make sure we are ready for anything that may come our way.  Scouting the vineyards has shown the baby vines that spent their first season with us last year are doing well and are awake. Trellis replacement in our Chardonnay Musqué and Courtney Gamay blocks is well underway, with anticipated completion in the next two weeks.”

Though Steve is modest about his current workload, there’s more tying to be done at the Moira Vineyard, while on the Estate, sap is oozing from newly cut chardonnay, gamay and melon canes, where more new buds are swelling.  Taken together, these portend a pace that’s about to become faster.