2018 Vineyard Grower’s Update

Elise StimacFamily, Growing, Vineyard, WildlifeLeave a Comment

Bloom on vines at Three Feathers Estate & Vineyard

2018 Vineyard Grower’s Update

The 2018 season in the vineyard began with pruning in early February. The winter was cool and dry punctuated with rainy periods, but not characteristically wet.

Even spring was not very wet despite lingering cool temps and Bud Break was a month later than last year, on May 2. Once the plants started growing it was off to the races as we sought to keep the vines inside their trellis wire. Healthy vines require proper disease protection and nutrients so we sprayed organic products every 2 weeks; magnesium, boron, calcium, sulfur etc.

Pruning and training at Three Feathers Estate & Vineyard
Three Feathers team members prune and train vines for the next growth spurt.

Our French crew arrived from Paris on June 22nd and immediately went to work pruning and tying vines. The result of all this labor is a continuing improvement in the balance and condition of the vines and an increase in fruit production.

Pruning and training at Three Feathers Estate & Vineyard
That’s a wrap! Christine and Scott watch a flying hawk after finishing the vinework for the summer months.

Our season continues to be dry and we do not expect rain anytime soon. Although the dry summers are normal for us this drought compounded with the winter dryness stresses the plants and our irrigation system. At our elevation of 800-1200 feet we enjoy cooler temps by 7-10 degrees which in these hot summer days benefits the cool loving Pinots.

Pinot Noir grapes in early stage of maturity.
Pinot Noir grapes in the early stage of maturity.

As August approaches, the vines slow down and so do we while the vine’s energy is concentrated in the ripening clusters.  This year, birds have been a great topic of conversation in our family, with the discovery of several nests in the vines and the successful rescue mission of a hawk.

We take a breather, enjoying the gorgeous sunny days and family gathering for a photo shoot in the vines.

Three Feathers summer photoshoot in the vineyard.
Christine (left), Cynthia (middle) and Elise (right) pose for a summer photo shoot in Three Feathers vineyard.
Three Feathers owners pose in front of three douglas fir trees.
Elise (left), Cynthia (middle) and Christine (right) pose in front of three Douglas Fir trees on Three Feathers Estate.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *