8 March 2007

March has arrived and the smell of Spring is truly in the air, even if the surrounding hillsides to the East of Healdsburg are covered with snow! From the Passalacqua Winery in Dry Creek Valley, the view of snowy Mt. St. Helena is a stunning backdrop to the old Dry Creek Store and the pink flowering cherry trees along Dry Creek Road. We’ve had enough rain and cold weather to please every grape grower: a long, cold dormant period for pruning and enough water to replenish our aquifers and toget Spring growth off to a good start.

March is the month of budbreak for grapes, as well as many other fruits. First the grape buds swell as the weather gets warmer. Then the tough outer protective layer over the buds, called the “bud scales”, drop off and reveal that special bright green of Spring. Slowly the buds unfold and the new leaves appear. Now every wine maker knows that harvest is only five to six months away. . . if all goes well. With vines leafing out, every vineyard manager knows that frost season has arrived and vigilance is necessary until June to protect the new growth. Vineyard temperature alarms send managers scrambling to start their big diesel pumps to sprinkle the vines in the dark, early morning hours. The resulting ice that forms around the nascent fruiting buds and tiny clusters will insulate and protect them against temperatures that are several degrees below freezing.

Of course, cold Spring temperatures delay budbreak, as was the situation last year when we experienced lots of March and April rainstorms. Rain and warm weather sets up the vineyard for mildew and other fungal diseases like Botrytis. Heavy summer fog can exacerbate the effects of these diseases. Even the best vineyard management plans and the strictest spraying regimes can be sabotaged by Mother Nature. For example, consider the effects of the storm that was supposed to pass by but, instead, produced enough rain to wash off the fungicide that you’d applied the day before! A farmer’s life is not an easy one.

Meanwhile, in the wine cellar, the cold weather has delayed the malolactic fermentations. The varieties harvested last, such as Cabernet in late October or Russian River Primitivo, have to contend with the cool cellar environments of Autumn and Winter. To encourage the lactic acid bacteria, some wine makers put heaters in the cellar or move barrels into the sunlight on clear days, as well as regularly stirring up the barrel lees.

The 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir, from Preston Ranch on Eastside Road, finished the malolactic fermentation before Christmas. With great color and clean, straight-forward cherry fruit, it’s just beginning to show some oak influence. Also, I continue to stir the Pinot lees throughout barrel aging. This laborious practice introduces added complexities of aroma and flavor while softening the wine’s texture.

Come and sample the new Pinot from barrel while it ages. You can find us at the Passalacqua Winery in Dry Creek Valley, 3805 Lambert Bridge Rd., just outside Healdsburg. Call 707-433-5550 and make an appointment with Margaret or write to contact@davenportwines.com.