The Rainy Spring

Shoot tips and leaves in the Doña Margarita Vineyard are

yellow due to the cool, wet weather

One of the many yellow leaves


 



 



 

 

  

Persistent rain and cool conditions have dried
 the leaves near the tip (where the arrows point)

The rains and cold weather are driving us crazy!!  Mom wakes up in the night worried and wondering when they are going to stop… The consequences are showing especially in our Sonoma Coast’s Doña Margarita Vineyard, which is even cooler than the Russian River Valley. Signs of Pinot Noir “leaf curl”, with dead leaves near the tip, are everywhere; this is due to a build-up of toxic putrescine during wet, cool conditions. And also, leaves toward the top are yellow instead of green. As the season advances leaves will turn green and new ones will grow near the tip – but it’s sad to see them looking so “sick” now.Bloom is barely starting; we found just a few flowers in the upper area and none in the lower vineyard. Bu interestingly, last year we had 1% bloom on June 3rd — so the conditions were pretty similar to this year!  But we sure hope this will not be as difficult growing season as last year’s…