Amalie Robert Estate Vintage Update: 2009 August Veraison

Hello,

We will have the little pink berries again this year. They will emerge alone and unafraid in Block 14 (Pommard on Schwarzmann rootstock), which is now being expertly manicured for Mr. Etzel, on August 6, 2009. Congratulations Mike!

Some have suggested the harvest of the year will come early, and for some I am sure this is true. However, every time I am tempted by these "false choices", I remember that Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special where he is falsely coerced into kicking the football. I think this is also called "marketing."

He knows it is the wrong choice, however he is pressured into thinking about the glory to be his when he kicks that football. Not to plagiarize here, but he seems to have the audacity of hope. Alas, it is not to be. Fortunately, he is not seriously injured and returns in a few weeks time with a Christmas Tree, but that is indeed another story.

Personally, I know that I will be harvesting Syrah and Viognier at the last possible moment - in NOVEMBER - with the birds. So if anyone is ready to go early, I will be happy to accommodate.

In the mean time we will build sugars, ripen seeds and begin respiring malic acid.

Ernie

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2009 July

Hello,

Now let's see, where did we leave off... Ah yes, we are preparing for the harvest of the year!

Well, the vines are certainly doing their part. They have full vibrant green canopies, enough fruit to make at least one bottle of wine (each), and enough photosynthetic surface to power a small factory. Wait a minute, they are small factories! They just have not been signed up for "cap and trade" yet. I bet those Cabernet vines could use the credits.

Thankfully our Congress is in recess, if only for a month, and is taking time to attend local "Town Hall" meetings. This is the citizenry's opportunity to provide direct input and "Specific High Intensity Training" to our elected representatives. I encourage everyone to vigorously participate, regardless of your rootstock choice.

Now, let me tell you what it has been like here for the vines in July 2009. We have recorded about 532 degree days for the month of July, providing a total of 1,100 degree days since the beginning of the growing season on April 1st. This compares with 531 degree days last July and comparative total of 993 degree days for 2008 (consistent, no?) and 1,054 degree days for 2007. In 2006 we had accumulated 1,246 degree days through the end of July. Personally, I think consistency is usually the hobgoblin of large homogeneous organizations, or disorganizations like... Congress, but I digress.

During July, our highest high was 101.0 and our lowest high was 997.1 Our lowest low was 41.0 and our highest low was 43.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainfall for July was a blowout of 0.93 inches and was 0.90 inches above last July's rain of 0.03. Rainfall since April 1st through July 31st was 7.93, and is 5.20 inches more than last year's growing season to date rainfall of 2.73 inches.

Let's explore degree days for a minute. Conceptually, degree days are the way humans try and understand the vines response to temperature, and more importantly the growing season in total. The traditional formula is to average the high and low temperature of the day and subtract 50. Resulting positive number gives us the degree days for that day. The vascular tissue of the vine (think sap in a tree), is usually pretty dormant below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. So we make this a baseline in our calculations.

Here is where I differ from the traditional program. I use data loggers to take temperature readings every 20 minutes, day or night, rain, wind or shine. This gives us the average temperature for the day, and we download the information each month for a monthly total, and finally an April through October summation (Northern hemisphere growing season.) This gives us a more accurate reading of what the vine is experiencing. That, and we simply ask them.

August will bring the third, and hopefully, final hedge pass. We are thinning and making all the necessary preparations for September 23rd. This is the 105th day past flowering.

Ernie

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2009 June

Hello,

The vintage of the year continues to roll right along. We have a nice fruit set and the canopy is looking healthy, but a bit disheveled. Of course I only really see it during the day, who knows what is going on out there after dark. One thing I do know is we have a pair of juvenile Redtail hawks this year. They are certainly helping with our with the rodent issues. I don't mind helping them out, but I wish they would return my traps.

Here are the numbers. We have recorded about 369 degree days for the month of June, providing a total of 568 degree days since the beginning of the growing season on April 1st. This compares with 254 degree days last June and a comparative total of 462 degree days. During June, our highest high was 92.5 and our lowest high was 88.0. Our lowest low was 41.7 and our highest low was 43.9 degrees Fahrenheit.

The rainfall for June was 1.45 inches and was about 0.81 inches more than last June’s rain of 0.64. Rainfall since April 1st through June 30th was 7.00 inches, and is 4.30 inches more than last year’s Q2 accumulation of 2.70 inches. Every inch of rain is about 27,000 gallons of water per acre, or about 18.6 gallons per vine.

We are finishing our canopy management of clipping the third set of catch wires into place. I will begin hedging and mowing early next week, and will follow on with leaf pulling. The fruit set seems very uniform, with most berries on a cluster all the same size. I am hopeful this will promote uniform ripening of the cluster.

Ernie

Amalie Robert Estate Vintage Update: 2009 June Flowers

Hello,

It looks our first definitive sign of harvest is here - Pinot Noir flowers. The first of the little devils appeared on June 9th. After a quick review of the usual suspects, it turns out block 10 (Wadenswil/5C) was the lead dog.

So now the game is afoot. If we go "by the book," we have about 105 days from bloom to harvest. Since June 9th is the 160th day of the year, we can expect serious consternation regarding harvest to be in full effect by day 265, which is conveniently September 23rd.

However, we also have to keep an eye on the Big Walnut, as I am reluctant to harvest Pinot Noir until it begins to senesce. Alas, the birds have a different view, but we can address them next time.

Again the Spring has provided us with "seasonal" Oregon weather. This means we are on the look-out for Powdery Mildew, and with the rains that will be coming in June, perhaps even Botrytis. We are keeping tight intervals on our sulfur spray regime. We do not seem to have any mite damage this Spring.

First wires are up and clipped into place, the summer cover crop is drilled in and suckers have been removed. From my point of view, the world is spinning in greased grooves.

Ernie

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2009 May

Hello,

This is the climate update for the month of May 2009.

We have recorded about 199 degree days from April 1 through May 31. This is nestled nicely between the 206 degree days recorded during the same period in 2008 and 2007's read of 194 degree days. That being said, bud break for the three years varies widely.

During May, our highest high was 92.50 and our lowest high was 88.00. Our lowest low was 35.70 and our highest low was 36.40 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainfall for May was significant at 4.24 inches and was about 4.01 inches greater than last May’s rainfall of 0.23 inches. Year-to-date rainfall is 18.96 inches compared to last year's 17.23 inches.

We began Bud Break in the Pinot Noir on April 22nd this year, which is about 2 weeks ahead of 2008's date of May 5th. We observed the 2007 Pinot Noir break bud on Thursday, April 5 which, agriculturally speaking, is “nearly exactly” two weeks ahead of the 2006 Pinot Noir bud break of April 19. The 2005 Pinot Noir bud break was March 15.

The vineyard floor is weed-free, as I have now considered any plants in the vine row that are still alive to be "Cover Crop." That was easy. Last fall I established a permanent cover crop in alternate rows. The remaining rows have a cover crop blend of vetch and buckwheat or barley and vetch - depending on where I ran out, I mean where I changed the blend for cover crop trials.

We are spraying liquid sulfur this Spring. It is about the same cost as the increased price in micronized sulfur, and easier. One of the 2.5 gallon jugs is exactly what I need in my 250 gallon sprayer. As I age, I seem to be gravitating toward easy. I will have to get this looked after.

No signs of Powdery Mildew or Botrytis, and all seems healthy and green. The only exception is our Chardonnay which seems to have been the victim of early May herbicide spray drift or volatization. Another reminder to chat with the neighbors and the local farm stores each and every Spring without exception, about how evil this Crossbow product really is.

Although we do not have any mite damage that I can find, I am seeing pronounced apical dominance in some blocks. This is disturbing for several reasons, not least of which is that the less vigorous shoots are not up to the first set of catch wires when the end shoots are past the second set. Nonetheless, the first set of wires are up and clipped into place. Due to the uneven shoot growth, I have opted to remove suckers early this year, and will bear the consequences after fruit set.

Ernie

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2009 April

Hola!

Just a little reminder that Tuesday is Cinco de Mayo. Other than that, not too much to report. Well, maybe a little bud break here and there.

We have accumulated 1.31 inches of rain since the 1st of April and that is 0.52 inches less than the same period in 2008. Q1 2009 rainfall was 13.41 inches and was 1.83 inches less than the 15.24 inches of rain for Q1 2008. The historical 30 year average for Q1 is 19.72 inches of rain, or 536,384 gallons per acre, mas o menos.

We have recorded 10 degree days this month. Our highest high was 83.00 and our lowest high was 71.80. Our lowest low was 30.10 and our highest low was 34.10 degrees Fahrenheit. For comparison, we did not record any degree days for April 2008 or April 2007; about 25 degree days for April 2006 and 49 degree days for April 2005. And everyone remembers how those vintages turned out! Ay Caramba!

One bright spot is that chisel plow springs are only about $25 apiece this year, plus s/h. Yes, the alternate rows have been flailed, mown, chisel plowed and rotovated. As soon as we get a break in the weather, I will be drilling buckwheat and vetch to those rows to help digest last years canes and winter cover crop and provide nutrients for the fall feeding frenzy. I can now finally answer "Si" to the following question with 100% certainty. "Does the roto-tiller need its clutches replaced every year?"

Now, onto the good stuff - we declared bud break in the Pinot Noir on Wednesday, April 22nd at 2:13 pm in block 10 which is full of wonderful Wadenswil clone grafted onto 5C, what a thrill! So far I have seen no scarring, or other signs of bud mite damage. As the season goes along, I am keeping a keen eye out for any potential mite issues. When mites are prolific they can really catch your eye, not unlike the hook on a screen door. No bien!

It seems the press corps has confirmed my suspicions regarding the 2008 vintage, so now we must start over. So for this year, I say we are "5x5" in declaring the vintage of the year.

Muchas Gracias,

Ernesto

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2008 September

Hello and Welcome,

September gave us a chance to rest, a "7th inning stretch" if you like.

October, it seems, will be more "interesting", and so it should be. For example, when I look out into the vineyard, it seems like it"...gets late early out there."

Here are the numbers. We logged 414 degree days (276 through the 15^th and an additional 138 through the end of the month.) This brings us to a cool climate viticulture total of 1,896 degree days for the growing season. Clearly with fruit in the field, "It ain't over 'til its over."

This is theoretically insignificant from the 2007 degree days of 1,891. But, as we all know, "...there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is."

The rainfall was a scant 0.67 inches and was timed perfectly just 24 hours after all of my cover crop was drilled in. However, I am tempered by the sentiment that "if the world were perfect, it wouldn't be."

I sampled the one cluster that was representative of the remaining 500,000 on Wednesday September 31, and it was 21.8 Brix and 3.37 ph. I asked Carl if the fruit looked good, and he told me it was as good "...as the day is long." Hopefully we did not make "...too many wrong mistakes" this year.

This just in from Patty Skinkis regarding CO2 assimilation in the vineyard. If she has the time to run this over the next few years, we may find "The future ain't what it used to be." Thanks Patty!!!

Ernie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... I finally got around to looking at the assimilation rate of a full canopy during a mid-summer day.

The location we used had the following information:

PN 115 on 101-14 at 5' x 7' spacing

Date of data collection: 7/30/08

Air temp:  26.09 deg C

Results are from 90 readings taken throughout a treatment block:

CO2 assimilation rate = 20 umols/m2/s

Average canopy leaf area = 4.51 m2/vine

Assuming that the highest sunlight hours are from 10-2 pm where this rate would be applicable, then a single vine would assimilate 288000 umol CO2 during that time or 0.288 mol CO2.

We see assimilation rates going down from our sampling date of 7/30 to 9/11 as follows: 

7/30/08  air temp 26.09 deg, assimilation rate = 20 umol CO2/m2/s

9/11/08  air temp 27.83 deg C, assimilation rate = 14.6 umol CO2/m2/s

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2008 August

Hello and Welcome,

Well, it seems that all the vineyard work is done, and what's left is the hard part - waiting. So, let's have a look at August, shall we?

We have recorded about 488 degree days for the month of August, providing a total of 1,481 degree days since the beginning of the growing season on April 1st.  This compares with 442 degree days last August and a comparative total of 1,496 degree days for 2007. Looks like Déjà vu all over again.

During August, our highest high was 104.3 and our lowest high was 95.5. Our lowest low was 44.7 and our highest low was 47.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainfall for August was 1.70 inches and was 0.92 inches above last August's rain of 0.78. Rainfall since April 1st through August 30th was 4.43 inches, and is 0.01 inches less than last year's growing season to date rainfall of 4.44 inches.

So, we are 15 degree days short of last year and missing about 27.5 gallons of water per acre - ceteris paribus. Here is a quick look at our degree days through August 27: (2008: 1,481; 2007: 1,495; 2006: 1,748; 2005: 1,629; 2004: 1,825; 2003: 1,908.) The graphing is an exercise left to the reader, but it seems to me, we are getting cooler.  

The key activities in the vineyard this month were hedging and spraying. I chose to take a 4th hedging pass in some of the cooler corners of the vineyard, as I was seeing too much new growth and active shoot tips. The spray program was modified to include Botrytis sprays at all key intervals. The Buckwheat cover crop is continuing to grow and reseed itself in the rows. It seems the Vetch was a no-show this year. Perhaps due to lack of soil moisture?

We have significant color change with most blocks showing over 50% color. As always there are a few blocks that keep the harvest window open a little longer. These are the blocks with special needs and we give them special care, and so do the birds... We are thinning down to one cluster per shoot in most blocks, depending on fruit set. Wings are the last to come off and act as shock absorbers to the rainfall.

Looking to the future, the first 2 weeks of September are supposed to be picture perfect. Although hoping is not a strategy, I am hopeful that the remaining weeks until harvest will give us another outstanding vintage. At least the vintage of the year.

Ernie

Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2008 July

Hello,

We now leave July behind us and are looking through August's lens into September. Looks good to me and here is why.

In response to the cool growing conditions year to date, I spent a little more quality time (and a lot of just "tractor" time) with the hedger this year. Our vines seemed to show more apical dominance with the end shoots past the third set of wires and the remaining 90% of the shoots stuck somewhere between the tendril wire and second set of catch wires.

The first hedge removed those shoot tips that were suppressing the growth of the remaining shoot tips, and they got the message. The remaining shoots took about a week to reach the third set of wires. That is when I went for my second hedging pass. The goal was to remove as many shoot tips (not more leaves) as quickly as possible to redirect the vines energy to the clusters. After two more weeks, I completed the third and final hedge.

Fruit set is a bit lighter than last year. While doing cluster weights, I noticed a bit of stem necrosis in blocks that typically do not show excess vigor. Perhaps a result of cool bloom weather? However there is plenty of fruit to be sure, and we will begin thinning in earnest next week. The season has been fairly dry here and the disease pressure has been kept in check. I have adjusted my spray program in anticipation of mid to late October harvest.

"Enough pontification, where are the facts?"

We have recorded about 531 degree days for the month of July, providing a total of 993 degree days since the beginning of the growing season on April 1st.  This compares with 557 degree days last July and comparative total of 1,054 degree days for 2007. In 2006 we had accumulated 1,246 degree days through the end of July.

During July, our highest high was 97.9 and our lowest high was 93.2. Our lowest low was 44.7 and our highest low was 46.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainfall for July was 0.03 inches and was 0.36 inches below last July's rain of 0.39. Rainfall since April 1st through July 31st was 2.73 inches, and is 2.49 inches less than last year's growing season to date rainfall of 5.22 inches. So, we are 61 degree days short of last year and missing about 67,613 gallons of water per acre. 

For more information on water in the ethanol process here is what appears to be a Pro Ethanol website. I am not advocating it as good or bad, just that it is.  http://www.drivingethanol.org/ethanol_facts/water.aspx  Interesting that an acre of corn releases ~ 4,000 gallons of water per acre per day. Clearly, it makes a difference to the "net energy produced" if you have to irrigate the corn or if Mother Nature handles that.

I am curious about our transpiration rate per cubic foot of canopy. Clearly in a dry-farmed, hillside vineyard it can't be any more than the rainfall amount. Any takers for that question? I checked here, but no joy.     http://ct.water.usgs.gov/education/trivia.htm

Ernie

Amalie Robert Estate Vintage Update: 2008 Flowers aka Bloom

Hello,

I wanted to let everyone know that we in fact do have flowers in the vineyard this year. I spotted the first flowers of the year on June 21, in the Wadenswil clone Pinot Noir. This is certainly behind the historical average of June 15, and about 2 weeks later than 2007.  The weather forecast is looking to be warm to very warm over the next 10 days. Hopefully this will result in a bountiful fruit set, that we can ripen within a reasonable harvest window.

To this point in the growing season, I think the conditions have favored Powdery Mildew. If the weather continues to be warm and muggy, we may have elevated risk of not only Powdery Mildew, but also Botrytis. We are continuing with Sulfur applications every 7 days. Toward the end of bloom, we will tank mix sulfur with a product such as Flint, Pristine, or Scala to provide control of both pathogens.

Our first set of catch wires are up and clipped into place. We have begun removing suckers from our least vigorous and coolest blocks. The attempted mutiny by the Wild Garlic has been put down. Last year’s report is below for comparison.

Ernie