Hello and Welcome,
This is an Amalie Robert Estate Vintage Update: Bud Break
2019. A FLOG communication.
They're back. On April 18, after a long winter’s nap, the
vines are starting to show signs of life. And pretty much right on queue, you
have just mailed off your National Mathematics exam to Uncle Sam.
Why is it that the vines start to wake up when your dear
uncle is collecting his due? Some have suggested making Election Day the very
same day as Tax Day. Alas, that would take an act of Congress. The vines just
need a little warm weather.
And some Farmin’ rain! We have had our share of that and
more. The first two weeks of April saw quite the downpour here at Rancho
Deluge. As a quick reminder, one-acre inch of rain is about 27,154 gallons and
weighs in at about 113 tons.
Let’s break that down. An acre is 43,560 square feet and we
farm about 35 of them. A football field, including the end zones, is about
57,600 square feet, so just about 1.32 acres. Now an inch, that is a pretty
common measure. So just imagine an inch of standing water on top of a football
field and that would be about 35,843 gallons.
Here at the farm, our 35 acres received around 5 inches of
rain during April - before bud break. Temperatures were visiting the mid
30-degree mark and the cherry growers were praying that the intrepid little
bees would venture out and pollinate their sweet little blossoms to prevent a
very little harvest. Cherry trees are not self-pollinating, you see. Otherwise,
it is going to be a short year for Willamette Valley cherries. They say
cherries are a 2 in 10 crop. That means you make enough money on 2 seasons to
ride out the other 8. That’s farmin’ in a nutshell.
Right, so the answer is 35 acres times 27,154 gallons
divided by 1,452 vines per acre over 15 days will yield just about 44 gallons
of water per vine, per day, every farmin’ day for the first couple weeks of
Growing Season 2019. That kept Ernie off the tractors, which in turn saved on
the diesel bill. A bit of a silver lining. But he will get his tractor time
soon enough.
And so it begins. Tucking shoots and raising wires is next
up on the agenda. Till in last fall’s cover crop then go back and plant a
spring mix of Buckwheat and Vetch. We have taken the master farmer exam before.
The questions are the same, but the answers change.
As far as the numbers go, don’t expect too much in the
degree day category for April. But we did have both days of spring last week –
the first day and the last day – where we breached the mid 70’s. Yeah, that was
nice. Didn’t last though.
Our next big milestone will be when the vines begin to
flower. That is usually in the first half of June, but not always. Vintage 2011
was an after vintage. As in flowering in July and a harvest after all the
birds, rain and the rot. But it is all good - now. The wines, much like vintage
2007, are oh so pretty.
Once we see the flowers, then it is time to place your bets
on a harvest date. Flowering plus 105 days in the Willamette Valley usually
means Ernie can find something that is ready to bring into the winery so he can
ferment it.
Kindest Regards,
Dena & Ernie
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