This growing season in Alexander Valley and all over Sonoma County has been a bit unique. That's what makes farming fun and interesting... no two years are the same. Vineyard Manager, David Huebel, gives an update on the grapes and shares his harvest predictions for vintage 2023. The headline: "It has been late and will continue to be late."
No two years in farming are the same. Mother Nature is everchanging, impacting how we do things. This year's growing season is no different. Vineyard manager, Dave Huebel, shares how the 2023 growing season is so far, changes that he's made given the amount of rain and a new technique for sowing seeds in our insectary rows. Check out his video with highlights from this Spring.
Our most recent effort in the vineyard to reduce our carbon footprint was to eliminate the use of plastic ties. We tie vines to establish the exposure of the fruit to the elements. In the past, we had used plastic ties but this year, moved to using twine. We also use a Pellenc tying machine for our cane pruned vines, which is most of the vineyard. Often in looking for solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, we discover new things. Sometimes that pushes us outside our comfort zone, but if we are open to exploring new options and being flexible, we realize that we can change and adapt for the better. At the end of the day, we want to know that we are doing all we can preserve the environment and do the right thing.
A few years ago, Uncle Scott encouraged me to become a “drone pilot”, so we could have some unique photos from above. This certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone, but the end result is always fun and dramatic. In my most recent flight, I took a number of photos, but one stood out to us. We work closely as a team between vineyard, cellar and sales. Everyone has a unique perspective given their role and experience, so we wanted to see what various team members thought of this photo and what they see.
Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation Vineyard Employee Recognition Award honors outstanding vineyard workers monthly throughout the year. Each month focuses on a different category of vineyard work. We consider all of our vineyard team to be exceptional, hard-working and dedicated. This year we decided to nominate our three longest tenured employees: Gerardo Lopez, José Luis Lopez and Martín Aleman. All three won!
