The Quiet Turn of the Season

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.

Much of the work has slowed, but it has not stopped. The vineyard team moves deliberately now, making careful adjustments to the vine canopy in preparation for pruning, spreading compost to enrich the soil, and drilling cover crop seeds deep into the earth. The Biodynamic 500 preparation is being applied under the vines—a ritual that carries both intention and rhythm. Stirring the preparation until it hums with life before bringing it to the soil feels almost meditative. In this way, the land is nourished for the long winter dormancy ahead, its vitality supported even as growth pauses.

In the Winery

Inside the winery, a different kind of quiet hum persists. Tanks and barrels sit in measured stillness, the air cooler and calmer after the flurry of fermentations. Yet excitement simmers in unexpected corners. This season, we’ve embarked on an experimental project inspired by the small growers of the Rhône—a Vin de Paille. For the past six weeks, fully ripe Viognier clusters have been drying slowly, their sugars and flavors concentrating under patient care. Each cluster becomes a tiny vessel of intensity, a distillation of the season’s sunlight, summer warmth, and time itself. Next week, we will press these raisined grapes, beginning the transformation into a decadently sweet dessert wine.

Even now, we are preparing the yeast that will guide this journey. A small amount of the Viognier fruit has been hand-pressed and combined with natural yeast from freshly fermented barrels. It is a small gesture, almost intimate, but it holds the promise of something remarkable—an experiment in patience, intuition, and the delicate art of watching life unfold in miniature.

The Rhythm of the Land

Out in the vineyard, every action is now a preparation for rest. The soil, having been nourished and stirred, begins its winter retreat, and the vines, stripped bare of foliage, lean quietly into dormancy. The garden and rootstock nursery have been tidied, irrigation channels cleared of summer overgrowth, and the first outlines of pruning plans take shape. Each gesture—spread compost, planted seed, applied preparation—is deliberate, small, but profoundly connected to the cycles of the land.

Even as the days grow shorter and the work slows, the vineyard is never still. There is a rhythm here, subtle and persistent, a heartbeat underlying every action, every observation, every breath of wind across the bare rows. It is a season of anticipation, of laying foundations for growth yet to come. And in these quiet months, the promise of the next vintage waits patiently, held in the soil, the vines, and the careful hands that tend them.

Looking Forward

As we move deeper into winter, we carry both reflection and excitement. The wines of the 2025 harvest continue their slow journey, while small experiments like our Vin de Paille remind us that even in stillness, there is creation. We taste, we observe, we dream forward. And while the vineyard rests, we remain present, attuned to its subtle shifts, grateful for its rhythms, and inspired by the promise of seasons yet to come.