RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 1/18/2016 10:02:22 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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quote:

ORIGINAL: fasteddie35

Chris - Great to see you two over the Holidays. And thanks again for sharing your bottle of syrah. That was outstanding ! Was it from the new vineyard ? Cheers, Ed

Thanks Ed, great to see you and your Barb, too.

No, that bottle was 2013 vintage, and fruit (Syrah with a coferment of ~7% Viognier) came from Patricia O'Brien, owner of Vineheart Winery, just north of Prosser, mid Yakima Valley. I've been buying fruit from Patricia since 2009 and may always buy some fruit from there to do blending (for example she grows Grenache which I don't have planted) or other things until my own vineyard produces enough. I am pretty spoiled by her service and condition of fruit. It's always hand picked and sorted into 30 pound boxes when I pick it up; easy to handle for a home winemaker.

< Message edited by ChrisinSunnyside -- 1/18/2016 10:25:55 AM >

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 1/18/2016 5:38:13 PM

khmark7

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinSunnyside

Tom, rattlesnakes are not a worry when you have a ferocious Schipperke.

Thanks Anne!

Karl, our temp has dropped to single digits a couple of days this winter, coldest was Jan 1, New Years Day when it got to 4 F. Other than those low spikes we've been mostly above 20 F. Exposed vines and "trunks", such as they are, for sure could have some damage. Roots were and still under 12-18 inches of snow. We got another 2-3 inches yesterday during the football games. yippee.

A comment about the snow. I was not accustomed to the vast difference location, elevation, rain shadow have on precip including snow amounts. I was from the Midwest where if the storm tracked over a region a wide swath got similar amounts of snow. Here it's all about elevation and relative distance to the Cascade mountain range, and Pacific Ocean. 100 miles due west of me there has probably been very little if any snow (ocean effect). 50 miles due west is Mt Rainier, where ONE event in early December dumped an estimated 200 inches of snow. My place on the eastern slopes but atop a plateau at 1700-1800 feet has seen maybe 30 inches this year. Another 50 miles east, Zillah/Sunnyside/Grandview, ~1000-1200 feet in the hills, has seen a skiff of snow a time or two. Just beyond that, down valley Prosser and Red Mountain haven't seen any snow. I've been working a bit in Prosser this month at a wastewater sprayfield. One day I struggled to leave my driveway due to new snow, total 18 inches or so on the ground, less than an hour's drive away in same path as most weather systems, Prosser was dry and sunny with nothing on the ground and an appearance that spring was almost here, slight green on the sprayfield.

Very interesting about the elevation observations.

From the sounds of it I don't think you will have much, if any, damage to the vines. The roots don't worry me, as the vines are grafted, and temps needed to cause root injury would easily kill any exposed buds. It will be very interesting to see when bud break occurs and how the vines look early. If anything growing vines has made me VERY aware of our weather and how it effects the plants in my yard. If that wasn't enough, running outside in the winter makes those cold temps hit home even harder....

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Post #: 242

RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/20/2016 5:55:04 PM

ChrisinCowiche

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We got our first good look at the vineyard today. Vines are healthy, limber, with no evidence of any winter damage. Still a month or so to go of possible danger, but hopefully our luck will hold. Today we did a vine by vine count of status, counting 4 categories, no vine visible, vine up to first wire, one cordon, two cordons. Less than 20 vines didn't emerge in 2015, and I checked a couple of those with pruners today, seeing signs of life still so we're unlikely to replace any plantings. Assuming each vine will eventually have two cordons, the growth right now gives us about 30% cordons available for fruiting in 2016. A couple of the varieties have no cordons, but have mostly strong starts up to the first wire, Roussanne and Pinot Noir. The other varieties, Riesling, Gewurz, Viognier, and Syrah are all at about 40% cordons, some with single, some with two. We'll prune and tie vines in about a month then see what happens with bloom and fruit set. By mid summer we should have an idea how much fruit, if any, we'll be harvesting ~ eight months from now.

It felt really good to be walking the rows today, and Chiva had a great time!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/20/2016 9:34:03 PM

BenNoir

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Excellent. Spring is in the air.

ben

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/20/2016 10:01:02 PM

dsGris

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And the Earth awakens after a short slumber. lovely!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/20/2016 11:17:24 PM

JerryL

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So, party in Two-ish years?

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/20/2016 11:37:29 PM

PinotPhile

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Sounds encouraging. Looks like a beautiful day to be outdoors, checking out the site.

Hope you had good vino tonight and raised a glass to the vineyard.

Cheers!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/21/2016 5:56:58 AM

musedir

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Now all we need is a proper shed and eventual tasting room (and a few goats?)...

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/21/2016 9:02:47 AM

Sourdough

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Looks great Chris! Awesome to be able to watch you create this. I well remember the loving attnetion I gave my vines in San Antonio!

I am sure you are looking forward to bud break (which is hopefully still well in the future!)

Super!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/21/2016 10:06:41 AM

skifree

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5 degrees warmer than usual for February on the west side, our daffodils are a foot high and we are inland and at 400 feet. So glad the snow pack looks normal.

Loved the picture!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/21/2016 12:18:02 PM

khmark7

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Will be curious to assess the first bud break in the new vineyard. I typically don't count the year I plant everything because the vines are shipped to me sometimes after growth has begun in my yard.

Very excited for you, especially if the vines bear fruit, but my experience is that young vines bear very small clusters for a year or two. The picture also gives a good appreciation of how much work you have ahead of you. Soon you will be needing to spend a considerable amount of time in that vineyard (or at least somebody else will).

My vines are looking good so far, with no sign of winter damage. Guessing bud break in early April this year due to the mild winter.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/21/2016 12:51:41 PM

PinotPhile

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quote:

ORIGINAL: musedir

Now all we need is a proper shed and eventual tasting room (and a few goats?)...

I have visited several tasting rooms that have greeter dogs. A greeter goat would be a first.

Eberle tasting room does have a nice sculpture of a wild boar in front. Apparently "Eberle" is translated from German as that particular animal. It's on the label.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 2/21/2016 1:53:49 PM

wadcorp

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Fantastic, Chris.

Where is the "Like" button?

.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 3/25/2016 8:48:38 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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Another month and slowly things awaken. We're still probably a week or two away from bud break, which is a good thing because this morning temperature was 28F. These are Riesling buds swelling.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 3/25/2016 9:09:45 AM

musedir

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 3/25/2016 11:33:23 AM

PinotPhile

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Go Chris!

Cheers!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 3/26/2016 7:16:02 PM

khmark7

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Same boat here Chris. Slow awakening process that appears to be earlier than last year by about a week... I will post something when my notable vines begin having bud break.

Already have my currants, elderberries and gooseberries beginning to grow.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/5/2016 4:36:11 AM

khmark7

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How is progress in your vineyard Chris?

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/11/2016 3:27:18 PM

ChrisinCowiche

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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

How is progress in your vineyard Chris?

Hi Karl, We went to Tennessee for Spring Break and just got home yesterday. During the 8 days we were away, two major events occurred. a) bud break on just about every vine. and b) pruning and tying up of every vine by somebody besides me.

We didn't pick this week for spring break (the schools did) , and we're glad the crews got everything done in our absence. My chore now is to mow and clean up, but I got a new wheeled string mower that I think will be much better for the 20 or so rows I push mowed last year.

I took some hasty (and poor) photos yesterday but they show the progress on a few different types of wines. First, on a well established Riesling vine and row. If these vines progress as I expect/hope, I should see a small crop in about 6 months. My estimate from early March on cordons was pretty close to what got tied up just by eyeballing the rows though I haven't done an exact count.

A Pinot Noir vine that was not quite to the first wire, so obviously more training is needed and likely no fruit from this one this year, but good growth none the less.

Finally, no fruit from this Syrah start that was a non-grower in 2015 but has finally awoken alive this year. I'll be able to do a better count/assessment of any dead vines as I start irrigating and mowing, both which should start by this coming weekend.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/11/2016 4:25:42 PM

khmark7

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Nice Chris! Now the real fun begins.

My vines are only about a week behind yours and with our warmer weather predicted this week i am sure there will be an explosion of growth over the next few days/weeks. Perhaps surprisingly my vinifera vines last year didn't have all that much growth. We shall see this year.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/11/2016 4:58:55 PM

PinotPhile

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You go Chris!

Goat Rocks rocks.

Cheers!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/11/2016 6:37:03 PM

Wine Gopher

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Looking good

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/12/2016 7:25:16 AM

Sourdough

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Bud break is always exciting. I miss my vines! OTOH, I don't miss stressing over them!

Thanks for the update! Always get a lift out of seeing what you are doing!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/12/2016 8:06:05 AM

musedir

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Looking good!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - YEAR TWO! - 4/12/2016 8:43:22 AM

BenNoir

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Thanks for the update Chris.

ben

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 4/12/2016 9:58:44 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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Thanks All!

A few better pictures showing the best of the best as far as progress and training goes. These are all Riesling, since they are easiest to get to for photo ops (no climbing), but similar looking vines existing in all varieties except Pinot Noir.

In other news, I've seen, and my MIL has reported too, smallish varmint-like beasts entering the vineyard. Her research identifies them as marmots, aka rock chucks, aka fancy groundhogs. I've contracted assassins (guys I work with who have guns and love to shoot them) to help manage this nuisance. I'm hoping to feed the hawks and maybe a vulture or two to protect my new shoot and roots.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 4/12/2016 3:29:41 PM

GalvezGuy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinSunnyside

In other news, I've seen, and my MIL has reported too, smallish varmint-like beasts entering the vineyard. Her research identifies them as marmots, aka rock chucks, aka fancy groundhogs. I've contracted assassins (guys I work with who have guns and love to shoot them) to help manage this nuisance. I'm hoping to feed the hawks and maybe a vulture or two to protect my new shoot and roots.

Sounds like the little buggers will die from lead poisoning. I handle the woodchucks that steal my mom's tomatoes in the same fashion.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 4/14/2016 10:35:42 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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Close call last night at Goat Rocks Vineyard, But a beautiful sight to see. That snow capped foothill is called Mount Clemens which peaks out at ~3500 feet. We sit at ~1800 feet elevation. Our temp last night dipped to 36 F, when I got to work at about 1000 feet elevation temp was 42 F. It was obviously colder above the ~2500 foot mark.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 4/14/2016 11:00:24 AM

musedir

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How high is Naches Heights?

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 4/14/2016 11:14:43 AM

ChrisinCowiche

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quote:

ORIGINAL: musedir

How high is Naches Heights?

Tops out at about 2100 feet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naches_Heights_AVA
The AVA plateau slopes gently from northwest to southeast, we are about mid way on the western slope. A couple of vineyards, Strand and Keller are a bit higher than us, ~1900 feet, Strand is further north and west (killer Riesling and Gewurz sold by NHV is sourced there) , Keller is more or less on our same hill, just a bit higher and a mile southeast (NHV gets Syrah from the Kellers and I may get some too, Barb teaches with the female half of that ownership). From this wiki listing I know where all the vineyards in the AVA are located except for Kalruth, but I have a general idea where it is located, on eastern side of plateau. I have a coworker who has bought some fruit there, semillion and cab franc.
The low elevation listed at 1200 feet is probably the base of the plateau, near where you guys walked through Cowiche Canyon.

< Message edited by ChrisinSunnyside -- 4/14/2016 11:36:55 AM >

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