Vintage and Harvest 2009: Central Coast

As I mentioned in the Asylum (I love the sound of that), I think it would be great to have various vintage/harvest threads, especially if we can get many of our friends from Facebook to participate and represent their region. As you can see from the "Vintages in CA" thread already, weather conditions are sometimes vastly different in the North Coast than they are in the Central Coast, and we're only 5-7 hours apart! Also, the soils are radically different and react to drainage/drought challenges differently.

Perhaps someone else can start a Napa/Sonoma thread, a Santa Cruz thread, WA, OR, etc. I know I would love to follow such threads, esp. WA, Finger Lakes (Zucc?), and Spain ...

To start ...

Our fall and early winter vacillated between warm, springlike weather which encouraged the cover crop, and crisp, cold, dry weather which is hard on the tender cover crop. The dry weather made it easier to get the vineyard to cut canes and clear the vineyard in anticipation of pruning, but we really need water.

This last week we were projected to have a week of rain, but it was only about 3 days of soft rain, not the downpour we were hoping for. Last night it was getting cold again, and now there's no rain on the horizon for another 10 days.

3.5" rain so far on Vineyard Drive.

Mary - first, bring them over here! A personal recommendation is always the best way to have them join.

Second - do you want downpour just because of the volume, or is there something in the way a downpour hardens the soil that you wish for it instead of just light rains?

I'm working on it .. will probably do a few a day for a while, starting with the people I think would be the best contributors.

We were hoping for a downpour a) to get caught up on our average winter-spring rainfall of 22"--if this is the winter pattern it doesn't bode well for achieving our goal--and b) to replenish our water table, and c) to get some of it over with, hopefully a sunny spell after that to get more vineyard cleanup and grounds work done. It's equally annoying when it drizzles non-stop for months and you can't get anything done.

But if you have a downpour (I'm thinking midwestern style downpour) you have the threat of erosion and run off. Best to have a good amount, but spread it out at a steady pace over a period of time. Don't think that's going to happen though.

Hard to believe it was 86 degrees out at Fiddlestix Vineyard just two weeks ago. At least the guys pruning weren't freezing their asses off during that time! We definitely need the rain to come, long and slow...but doesn't look very good.