Wine, a work in progress

"The vines are awake and our Estate vineyard crew, led by Sadie Drury, has been busy tending to them, mowing, and providing mechanical (herbicide-free) weed control. Their meticulous care ensures the health of our vines, setting the stage for the next vintage of stellar wines. We are excited to be nurturing these grapes for the upcoming harvest!

We're also thrilled to report that bud break is flourishing across our vineyards, pointing towards a near-normal crop at Seven Hills Vineyard and a very promising harvest at Ferguson, with only a minor reduction from the winter."
- The Winemaking Team, L'Ecole No. 41, 5/8/24

"You've probably heard the saying 'April showers bring May flowers.' In Northern California, the showers began in October, and through today, we have recorded over 43" of rainfall for the season!

The vines are changing daily, with new shoots and leaves everywhere. Although the temperatures have been a bit cooler than last year, the vines are about two weeks ahead of schedule. Vineyard Manager Isaul Macias, Jr. is anticipating bloom to begin in ten days if we get warmer weather."
- The Alexander Valley Vineyards Team, 5/1/24

"Vineyard Update: April Freeze Edition
On the morning of Saturday, April 6th, frost descended on Noceto's vineyards. We experienced 4.6 hours at conditions below freezing, enough to damage buds, leaves, and flowers. But ... the news is good!

Unlike the 2022 freeze, when the vine shoots were running out 2-3 inches, this year's most advanced vines are still in their bud stage. We have some crisped and burnt edges, but overall, the leaves and buds "look okay," in the words of longtime winemaker, Rusty Folena. That said, we won't know the full extent of this year's damage until fruit sets in the coming weeks and months."
- Garrett Linker, Tasting Room Manager, Noceto Vineyards, April 2024 Newsletter

"Now that we've had a few months to look back on the 2023 vintage, we can definitively say that it was an unusual growing season from a weather standpoint. "Weird, bizarre, atypical" are just few of the words the winemaking and viticulture teams used to describe the season. Despite the unusual weather, the 2023 wines are looking exceptional."
- Rige Vineyards Winemaking Team, Healdsburg CA, 3/29/24

"Vineyard Office Manager Barb Peterson reported that we've recorded over 42.6" of rain from October 2023 to February 22nd. Luckily, the storms have been spread out for us, giving all that water time to soak in.

Our vineyard crews are continuing to prune and tie canes on vines. They've completed about 80% of the vines and should have the remaining vines finished in a month. Then, we'll watch for signs of budbreak in the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards."
- The Alexander Valley Vineyards Team, 3/1/24