Napa Valley Wine Radio

Those little green peas I told you about are beginning to blush and they’re a sight to be seen - such pretty little things…  These little ”peas” are actually Cabernet Sauvignon which is putting out signals that it’s thinking about coming home - not real soon - but maybe in about eight weeks, give or take, depending on the weather (other varieties ripen earlier).

As if I needed reminding, this is kind of like a wake-up call to get ready for crush.  To make sure I’ve ordered all the supplies I need, get the cellar ship shape and sanitized, take look at last year’s notes and get my game plan together for this year (it reinforces my illusion that I have control)

Besides acting as an early-warning system for crush, the color change (veraison) signals that the vine’s energy has shifted from shoot development into grape ripening.  So - that means we’ll be gathering samples before long.  You get a bunch of zip-lock bags and pick a representative sample from each section (we’ve got 11 sections on our ten-acre site).  Initially we’re after the average sugar, acid and pH.  Once they average about 20% sugar it’s time to start tasting.  Flavor is, by far, the most important consideration in a harvest decision, but you’ve got to keep running the numbers, too.

I expect the next post will be from the harvest trenches.  So far, we’ve come through frost, heat and smoke without much to complain about except a little inconvenience.  But, I doubt 2008 will be known for its volume.  Let’s see what Mother Nature has in store for us next and hope our luck continues!