Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Now For Some Real News
It's balmy in Sonoma County, in the 70's. What happened to Winter? But the really really important news of the day is this:
Vineyard managers tracked the balmy weather with an eye toward its impact on bud break, the time when grapevines branch into young shoots that eventually produce fruit.

Buds start popping in most local vineyards in March, said Nick Frey, executive director of the Sonoma County Grapegrowers Association, but it can happen sooner. "It could accelerate early bud break," Frey said of the warm temperatures, which are expected to remain above normal for another week.

"If it remains warm, no problem," added Frey, citing perennial concerns about frost protection that follow early bud break. "But if we have a cycle where we go back to the normal spring weather ... and you get below freezing, that's a real risk."
The short version? If it doesn't freeze again, it sets the stage for a wonderful, vintage, year for wine. If it freezes again .... watch wine prices rise as this years crop gets hurt.
Written at 11:19 AM by Greyhair.
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