We had a few days that exceeded the 100-degree mark around the Fourth of July, but other than that, this summer has been consistently cool as we approach 50% veraison (softening, coloring of berries). The vines look beautiful and we’re just cruising along at this point.

Someone asked me a good question the other day – how do we determine the size and shape of vineyard blocks?

The short answer is that we try to establish “like units” of ground that can be farmed similarly and efficiently. Of course, there are obvious determinants like topography. But for me, everything starts with the soil. You can always add to the soil, but you can’t take away from it. So the first and best way for me to divide a vineyard site into smaller units is to consider how the soil will impact water use.

Different sub-soils can translate to major site … More…