Transcript In the Vineyards-PPT - Jacuzzi Family Vineyards

In the Vineyards
January
It’s the start of a new year, and at Jacuzzi Family
Vineyards, this commences pruning season.
Removing tired tattered vines takes the vineyard
workers five to six weeks to complete.
Eliminating old spurs (last years wood growth)
encourages new growth and sets the foundation
for the next harvest. Fruit grows on the shoots
that are produced by one-year-old canes, so each
year the previous season’s growth needs to be
removed. The spurs are cut back to2 buds,
which in turn will produce 2 shoots next season.
Desirable fruit production is dependent on vine
training and proper pruning. There is a delicate
balance between vine growth and the amount of
fruit a cane will produce.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
February
Rainy weather is very common during our
California winters, and it is not uncommon to
see large amounts of standing water throughout
the vineyards. After a few sunny days,
supersaturated soils begin to flourish with the
first sightings of yellow mustard buds.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
March
A new season arrives, and with it comes warmer
temperatures, longer days, and bud break! Tiny
bumps appear below the surface of the shorn
vines. Within days, those bumps burst with
fuchsia crowned leaf buds.
That’s not the only thing that is quick to grow…
it’s time to remove the lush undergrowth of
weeds and cover crops, which may compete for
nutrients with our vines. Mowing, disking, and
spraying herbicides to rid vineyards of unwanted
foliage are common farming practices. At Jacuzzi
Family Vineyards, we rely on 1500 sheep and 500
goats to shear the vineyard floor.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
April
During this prolific growth phase we focus on
providing sustenance to the growing vegetation,
which is vital to maintaining a healthy crop. In
an effort to protect and fertilize our vineyards,
a compost tea (a liquid solution made by
steeping compost in water) is applied via drip
irrigation. The tea contains molasses, fish
emulsion, rock dust, microbes, and other
nutrients.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
May
Edging toward summer, we see the onset of
misty mornings. Our proximity to the Pacific
Ocean produces some of the most variable
microclimates throughout northern California.
Cool fog blankets the vineyards each night and
resides until the warmth of the sun burns the
shroud, exposing the flowers of the embryonic
grape clusters. Pollination will take place for the
next two weeks and during this precarious time,
the vines are susceptible to radical weather
vacillations which include frost, rain and wind.
We make no effort to elude mother nature’s
wrath- no sprinklers, no wind machines.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
June
As fertilized flowers evolve into tiny green
berries, the swelling orbs undertake a new
stage of development called berry set. Berry
maturation consists of two growth periods.
The first consists of rapid cell division and
increased solutes (misc. acids, tannins,
minerals, amino acids, and micronutrients),
which continues for approximately 60 days.
The second phase is called veraison and is
characterized by softening and coloring of the
grape. Beginning at veraison, sugar influx into
the berry commences. The concentration of
sugars is dictated partially by the length of
time the grape is allowed to stay on the vine.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
July
The berries are in full veraison from now until
late August/early September. As the grapes
mature they become stunningly variegated.
Harvest, which generally occurs a little over a
month after the color change begins, is growing
near. The summer heat promotes the ripening
process, allowing the brix, or concentration of
sugar within a block of berries, to increase
daily. Each degree brix is equivalent to one
gram of sugar per 100 grams of grape juice.
Ideally, table wines are harvested between 20
and 25 degrees brix, of which 55-60% of the
sugar is turned into alcohol.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
August
It’s nearly Labor Day, and it’s time to labor!
Harvest has arrived, and all hands are on
deck. Freshly handpicked Pinot Noir grapes
came to the crush pad, glistening with sweet
sticky nectar. The berries were released into
a steel hopper where they idly waited destemming. Once separated from their
clusters, the grapes are dispatched into a 20
ton press. This harvest looks to be flavor
packed.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
September
With the crush pad on overdrive, our
thoughts go from fruit to juice. Depending on
the color of the grape, the pressing process
takes one of two turns. In red grapes, the
juice, seeds and skins (the must) are pumped
directly into a tank for fermentation. The red
color and tannins that give red wine its ability
to age and “bite”, come from the skins. The
must is removed seven days later, re-pressed
then composted. White wines do not keep
their must during fermentation. In both cases,
yeast is added to begin the process of
converting sugar to alcohol.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
October
From bare stalks to buds, to newly sprouted
crimson leaflets, to full lush canopies full of
mouth watering fruit, we end the lifecycle of a
grape with the exuberant colors of a grand
finale. Our sangiovese, merlot, and barbera
grapes concluded this season’s harvest. While the
grapes undergo the fermentation process, the
vines begin their winter rest. Dormancy begins
with leaf fall, when the average daily
temperature reaches about 50 degrees, and the
cycle resumes next spring at bud break.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
November
The late November fog blankets the vineyard
in cool comfort. Our typical California
winter weather pattern will bring the three
“Fs”…Fog, Frost, and during heavy rain
periods Flooding. Our proximity to the coast
moderates seasonal temperature extremes,
with an average early morning temperature
range of 35-40 degrees; and a mid-day
temperature range of 55-65 degrees.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY
In the Vineyards
December
It’s difficult to envision the once lush summer
canopy of green, now that it’s December and
all that remains is an eerie scaffolding. The
vines’ innate compulsion to propagate has
been suspended by the alternative need to
survive during extreme weather conditions.
Our cover crop, on the other hand, will
flourish over the next few weeks, reveling in
the soppy cool soil. Next month will be
devoted to clearing the vineyard of old
growth in preparation for the new.
GENERATIONS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DISCOVERY