MID-MARCH-APRIL: Bud break - the annual Spring miracle. Even though weather conditions can still be quite cold, the buds left on the vines after pruning are starting to leaf out. We mow cover crops between the vines to aid in frost damage control. Once the leaves have developed, the vine starts to nourish itself through photosynthesis; before then, it relied on stores of carbohydrates laid down in the trunk and roots the previous Fall.

To prevent frost damage to the tender, new shoots we mow grass cover crops between the vines, leaving a "blanket" on the ground. Frost and its damaging effects are a matter of major concern through May 1st. If the nighttime temperatures threaten to drop below freezing, there is a possibility that vineyard workers will have to spend the night tending to the overhead sprinklers. As the water emitted by the sprinklers freezes and thaws heat is created. The ice that forms around the buds serves to insulate and protect them.

MAY: Grape vines do bloom, but the flowers are so tiny that they might escape notice altogether by the casual observer. Bloom will start - and may finish, too - at some time from mid to late May. Bloom is followed by fruit set. We take tissue samples from the vines to check their nutritional status, and base any fertilizer applications on these levels. Depending on rainfall, we may start monitoring soil moisture around the vines during this month. We will also move the trellis wire to begin vertical positioning of the shoots.

JUNE: We begin fertilization of the vines. Soil moisture is constantly checked, and we begin drip irrigation. Light leaf pulling begins this month. This practice allows for better air circulation around the white grapes and promotes color development in the red fruit. Assuming that Mother Nature has blessed us with a nice-sized crop, cluster thinning also begins this month as too much fruit would adversely affect the quality of the grapes. Vineyard workers continue positioning the shoots so that they will grow along the trellis wires.

JULY: The vines enter their ripening phase and veraison starts. This usually commences in late July and continues into early August. White wine berries slowly turn a yellow-gold color; red berries turn a reddish blue, but not all the grapes on a given bunch ripen at the same time. When the grapes turn color, the last phase in the vine's cycle begins. We continue watering the vines.

AUGUST: Veraison is now complete and the grapes have doubled in size and developed a rich coloration. If it is warranted - the vineyard blocks are all different - we will thin the clusters of grapes again. Depending on the needs of the individual blocks, we will cut back on watering or stop it altogether. Later this month, we begin sampling sugar levels in the fruit.

SEPTEMBER: Sugar sampling continues and harvest begins. No simple formula exists for setting the time of harvest; it's a matter of judgement by our winemaker and vineyard manager. The Merlot comes in before the Cabernet, with grapes from the hillside sites typically coming in before grapes from the valley floor vineyards. There is a tremendous feeling of excitement and relief, too.

OCTOBER: Harvest continues, and hopefully ends with good weather conditions! At the end of harvest in each block, we give the block a good drink of water in order to help the vines store nutrients needed for bud break next year. We plant cover crops in new vineyard blocks that don't yet have a permanent cover, and await rain to start the seeds germinating. We may do some post-harvest fertilization, but this is dependent on the needs of each block.

NOVEMBER: If harvest isn't over yet, it usually ends by mid-month. If we're lucky with weather, we will finish seeding new cover crops.

DECEMBER: Late this month, we may begin pruning the almost leafless vines. We do bud testing to see how fruitful the buds we retain are, and may adjust our pruning levels based on these tests.

JANUARY: Pruning really gets going, and skilled workers cut off 90% of the old fruit canes to control the next harvest's yield. The skies are gray, it rains a lot, and it's muddy underfoot. The pruned clippings are chopped up when the cover crop gets severely mowed.

FEBRUARY-MID-MARCH: We continue pruning and finish by the beginning of March, and then the whole cycle starts anew with the annual miracle of budbreak.