Bud-Break is very early this year. Normally only the early varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir show signs in March, but this year is totally different -- even the late Red Varieties are emerging. (Bud-Break, a term used to describe the tender young green shoots... Continue
March is always the time of year when we all get ready for the new season, like it or not. This year looks like an early start. Already we’ve seen an earlier than normal bud-break (when the vines begin to come out of dormancy and... Continue
For the past three vintages Sonoma has had almost perfect grape growing weather. Even though the drought is concerning, Mother Nature has blessed us with perfect temperatures during our growing season April to October. Hopefully Vintage 2015 will make it four in a row. So... Continue
As you can tell by driving around the Valley, there isn’t much going on in the vineyards. We are between seasons and the vines are slowly going into dormancy. There are still leaves on some vines with others as bare as can be. In the... Continue
Every year in November we begin harvesting our second crop in Sonoma, Olives. The olive oil production in Sonoma Valley has increased over the years and this year is not an exception. So how do you harvest an olive tree? There are two different methods... Continue
Vintage 2014 is almost completed; most of us finished harvest this week. Now it’s time to look forward to 2015, and do a few rain dances. Planting a cover crop in the vineyards has been a common practice in Sonoma for years. It is a... Continue
Living in the vine country has its rewards. Our landscape is scattered with vineyards and our climate is perfect for enjoying life. Sonoma is a world-class wine region, but it also has a lot of talented wine makers, viticulturist and wine enthusiast that make it... Continue
This year has been another great year for growing wine grapes in Sonoma. “Vintage 2014” looks as if it may even be better than our great “Vintage 2013.” So the question is, what has made it so great so far? First of all, we had... Continue
Vintage 2014 has been a great season up to date. Sure there’s been more wind than usual, and had some showers over last weekend, but all in all it has been a great season so far. If all goes as planned, harvest will be two... Continue
Most people think that the wine industry has two totally different sides: the viticulture, or growing, side and the wine making side. This is not true at all here in Sonoma. Here there is combined effort to make a great wine. It’s true that most... Continue