Bud Break, Held in Balance
BY VINCE VIDRINE
We have finally reached bud break! Sort of… The earlier blocks of Viognier and Syrah broke bud in earnest early last week, followed by the warmer blocks of Grenache later in the week. However, with the cooler temperatures and rain that rolled in, the progression of the season has virtually come to a standstill.
Budbreak & Blending Trials
FROM MINI BYERS AND VINCE VIDRINE
Even with the warmth over the past week, budbreak doesn’t feel quite imminent. The buds are a bit larger, a little softer, but still holding. Not quite ready to push. That said, with this stretch of beautiful weather continuing, it feels close. The season will be here before we know it.
Late Winter at the Vineyard and in the Cellar
FROM MINI BYERS AND VINCE VIDRINE
There is a particular quiet this time of year. Not silence exactly, but a softer rhythm. The vineyard breathes differently in late winter. So do we.
The Quiet Turn of the Season
FROM MINI BYERS AND VINCE VIDRINE
There is a subtle shift in the vineyard this time of year—a slowing, a softening of pace that feels almost like a held breath. The air carries the crispness of approaching winter. The leaves, once a vibrant chorus of green and gold, have drifted entirely to the ground, leaving the vines bare and honest. In these quiet moments, the vineyard seems to speak in whispers, offering us time to prepare, to observe, to tune ourselves to its rhythms.