VASCM Member

Home

About Us

Photo Gallery

Sandra's Cucina

Calendar

More Photos

Contact Us

Related Links

Home | About Us | Photo Gallery | Sandra's Cucina | Calendar | Project List | Contact Us | Related Links

Calendar

· Flowering is complete.  We have fruit set.

· Vines are growing like weeds, they love the sunshine!

· Pruning and tying is complete!

· Domani Vineyard’s 2005, ‘06, and ‘07 each received 2nd place at the Santa Cruz Co Fair! The ‘07 just missed a 1st place finish.  We were told there was major disagreement regarding the 2nd place finish.  Some tasting notes from the judges: "I loved the wine, a wonderful wine to drink!"... and this from another judge, "Terrific transformation in the glass.  Just what a well made Pinot should do." 

 

 

 

 

· harvest. 

 

 
    What’s Happening In The Vineyard:

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

 

 

 

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

July 2010

The Role of Fruit Set in the Annual Life Cycle of the Vine

The percentage of grapes that will develop from their embryonic state varies roughly between 25% and 65%. Varietal type largely determines how many grapes will be in each cluster. Spraying for pests, fertilizing and pruning often continue during fruit set.

The vine needs sufficient carbohydrates to properly complete the process. Poor fruit set usually manifests millerandage or coulure. Millerandage occurs when the temperatures are too cold, or there is too much rain during fruit set. The berries develop irregularly and the yield is reduced.

Coulure is French for “shatter” and occurs when the grapes are not properly pollinated. The fruit development is stifled and the small berries they eventually fall off of the vine. Merlot, Grenache and Malbec are all particularly susceptible to coulure.

If the vine is starved for energy, it will not develop many viable berries and will grow excessive foliage instead. Too much nitrogen in the soil from excessive rainfall is usually to blame for these conditions.

Vines are rarely irrigated right before fruit set except in a few arid regions. Young shoots are often cut back in the weeks before fruit set so the vine will concentrate all of its energy on the process.