Well Cultivated Vineyard, a Thing of Beauty! Experienced Anything More Beautiful?
I often wonder how they make them look so picturesque. The rows that appear to be perfectly straight, the air is fresh and sweet and the scenery natural and beautiful. It doesn’t matter if it’s the beginning of the growing season, or the fruit is fully matured and ready for harvest, any season is a good day at the vineyard. Speaking of seasons let me tell you a little about what happens during each season at the vineyards, home of the grapes.
Winter – this is the time when the grape vines sleep and store nutrients. Around this time, January through March, the viticulturists practice their latest techniques for pruning and growth. In the spring, the sap will increase and the buds will inflate where successful cuts have been made.
Spring – Cool crisp mornings and warm days contribute to early growth on the vines. During late May and early June the vines produce clusters of flowers which produce fruit for the coming harvest. Soon after small grape clusters begin to appear along with magnificently shaped leafs which can also be picked later, stuffed, cooked and enjoyed with a well chosen bottle of wine.
Summer – It’s a busy time at the vineyards. The crew is thinning the leaves and clusters to make sure of optimal ripening of the grapes until the harvest time. As we learned in a previous blog the way the grapes ripen is essential to the wine taste.
Fall – What a colorful time at the vineyards! Such regal, majestic shades of purple, paired with vibrant greens, yellow and brown. What makes it look like that? It’s the change in the lighting and temperature, cool mornings, warm afternoons, evenings that cool quickly and the repositioning of the sun in the sky.
What happens during each season contributes to the end result, a vineyard of beautiful grapes that will produce a delicious and satisfying barrel of wine. No way could this process happen by chance!!
Rosa L. McArthur
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