Vino In My Dino

Vineyard View: Winter Begins

December 21, 2016 13:39

Our weather this month has been very cold and wintry. The vines have all entered dormancy, preparing for their long winter’s rest. We received a good amount of rain over the previous weeks with 5 inches total so far and more is on the way this weekend. The good news is we had a break in the weather as the surrounding hillsides and valleys absorb the deluge which caused flooding in other areas of Sonoma County last week. What does this mean for the vines?

The good news is the vineyards are drinking every drop and since they have been challenged by drought conditions over the last few years this is very good news indeed. The nutrients that support the vine are being replenished and absorbed storing up for the 2017 crop.

Rounding up the rain statistics we have had about 18 inches of rain since they began recording for the year in October. We saw an unprecedented 5 ½ inches in October alone-compared to the three previous years where the highest amount of rain that fell was ½ an inch in that same month. November had 3 ½ inches keeping with the theme.

The other side of the coin is how much more will we get? Long range forecasts are nearly worthless, truth be told, but there is hope for a wet winter in Northern California-not much luck for our friends in the southern part of the state. We as farmers are dependent on the weather so I’ll hold out hope for more rain for us here on our little corner of Dry Creek Valley. A toast to much needed rain with a splash of our Mother Clone Zinfandel!

Our frosty Petite Sirah vineyard at the corner of Canyon and Walling Roads-32 degrees!

Vineyard Sign