Sleepy Vines
It’s a quiet period on the vineyard as the vines are beginning to go dormant in preparation for the upcoming winter. Cover crops were recently planted into the soil to add nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil.
The goal now is to determine the ground’s moisture level. Are the plants starved for moisture or will they be starved for moisture at bud break in early March? Ideally, the soil should be saturated with water at the time bud break occurs. It is crucial to know how much moisture is in the ground currently, so we may start the winter irrigation for dry farming (and do our rain dances!). Hopefully, by the time we get to bud break, there will be adequate moisture and we will not need to irrigate the vineyard. Eventually, the vines will be completely self-sustained, however, while they are young, they need a little extra help from our Vineyard team.
Planning Ahead
As fall has come to an end, we turn to planning ahead for spring. After the weather warms, just around the time of bud break, twenty gallons of Vermicompost Tea from Black Diamond VermiCompost in Paso Robles will be inserted into the soil. Vermicompost is compost that is made from worms. It has an enormous effect on the biological life of the soil by producing a large population of beneficial fungi and bacteria. This is beneficial to the vines as it significantly increases the nutrient levels in the soil. The fungi feed on the tips of the roots and aid in the transfer of micronutrients of the soil to the root of the plant.
Pruning
Planning ahead to decide the optimal time to prune our vineyard is vitally important. Our current plan is to wait until sap flow, which starts to take place when the soil begins to start warming up around February and the vines begin to wake up from their dormant state. Sap flow is caused from the vines drawing water that is carried throughout the plant. Aiming to prune during this time is beneficial to the vines because it will help prevent trunk diseases.
Frost Damage Prevention
Next month, a manual sprinkler system will be installed in the Cabernet Franc block. As Paso’s weather can be unpredictable, the sprinkler system will assist in the prevention of loss from frost.
This photo (left) shows the head of the sprinkler system that will be used to prevent frost damage in the Cabernet Franc block. On a positive note, more soil moisture seems to appear on the Cabernet Franc block. Vibrant green grasses are beginning to appear throughout the site!
Erosion Protection
To control the water flow in our vineyard as we (hopefully!) head towards more rainy weather, hay was distributed through the paths between the vines on our steep Syrah and Sangiovese blocks. This will slow runoff out of our vineyard as well as divert the excess water.