Once we got past the brief heat spell in July we have been fortunate to have spectacular growing weather for the rest of this season. With the weather cooling off last week, and the drying breezes coming in off the Pacific, we are leaving our crop on the vine until the second week of October to insure that we are getting fully mature fruit with the complex flavors and deep color that have become indicative of our wines. We expect to begin picking the Pinot Noir at the end of next week and continue on into the following week. The Syrah will stay out there until close to the end of the month, depending on how the weather patterns play out the latter half of October.

We have just reached bloom in the vineyard, so the countdown to harvest begins. I have found after much research, both here and in Europe that we need a minimum of 110 days from bloom to harvest in order for the grapes to reach full maturity. This is not just about sugar levels, what I am referring to is full physiological ripeness. I have found this to be absolutely essential to producing exceptional wines, regardless of the vineyard location or the varietal.

I met with Chad Cherefko, the Conservation Specialist from Yamhill Soil & Water Conservation District today. We walked the vineyards to discuss the next steps in our wildlife habitat restoration project. I think I am as excited about this as I am about our upcoming harvest. I have always dreamed of having the opportunity to carry out a long-term restoration project. The closest I came was the many years I spent at Stags’ Leap Winery, where I was able to restore a 19th century Napa Valley wine estate.

Our project here excites me even more. Maybe it is because Ellen and I own the property and don’t have to ask anyone else’s permission about what we hope to achieve. Maybe it is because we can see the results of too much clearing and too many unnecessary fences. Walking and working a property on a daily basis gives you a connection to the land that cannot be felt from behind a desk. Whatever the reasons, I know that we are going to spend the rest of our lives making this 128-acre site a better place for the wildlife and native vegetation to live and thrive. As a result, it will bring a great deal of joy and peace to our lives, which I truly believe translates into the wines we produce from this site.