A good thing done

After yet another ride with the straddle tractor, the last one was done yesterday afternoon. All sides have been sheared. The grass between the vines has been grilled. Now all we need is the grapes to ripen slowly and color (with the help of the weather).

See you in a few weeks to know the "appellation" and for the date of the harvest!

Veraison or Ripening of the Grapes

Here we are! We started to see some grape berries turn green to redish. It is called the veraison.

But the grapes are at different stages of ripening.

It is still difficult at this stage to define the harvest date. Everything will depend on what the weather will be for the coming month...

Years follow...

Years follow but don't look alike!  

Some photos taken a year apart (within few days)

Pinot Meunier (taken today August, 7th 2012)

Pinot Meunier (taken August, 3rd 2011)

Pinot Meunier (taken August, 18 2011 within 10 days of the harvest)

Storms again

It rains almost once a day for severall weeks now and we had two storms in four days... It's a bit too much. 

Storm coming quickly

Tornado away

Trellising

The trellising began on Monday. This manual task is to aerate the grapes and the branches to maximize the surface for photosynthesis and to put a staple to hold the branches between the tying-up wires.

Blooming

The sun finally came back! But according to the weather forecast, it will not stay so let's enjoy it! Disbudding ended yesterday (with rain) and the first shear shots were given (dispite the weather the vines grow because there is no lack of water and the sporadic heat pleases it).

Let's hope this dry weather will last for two reasons: 

- If the current weather pleases the vine, it pleases weeds too! Ground work will resume, we just need to wait until the soil dries a bit. 

- The blooming began for the Chardonnay and the Pinot Noir. Therefore, we need dry weather to prevent it from sinking. Pinot Meunier's berries started to separate and suggest a soon blooming. 

Separated berries

Blooming grape

The trellising should begin next week (remember last year we started May 29th and the full blooming was around May 23rd). Time goes by but every year is different...

Buds

After severall days of bright sunshine and warmth, the buds started to show up.