We’re back in the field with great news! Bud break has occurred across all varieties, & we’re now witnessing 3-6 inches of vibrant green growth. Bud break or bud burst in simple terms, is the green growth you see in the photos above & below. It’s an exciting time in the vineyards & really sets the stage for the new growing season.
We’ve successfully planted all of the new vines, but we’re now facing a new challenge in the vineyards – the need for rain! To ensure the survival and thriving of these young vines, we’re currently irrigating them with a water tanker truck, delivering 900 gallons at a time. This task has become a full-time job in itself for the Modales crew. If anyone has rain-dance skills, our vineyard is your dance floor!
We’re about to enter the next stage of the grape-growing season, where we’ll be suckering the vineyards. Suckering involves removing weak, sick, or poorly positioned vine shoots. After bud break & as the weather warms up, there’s a rapid acceleration in shoot growth. By clipping off these shoots, we make room for healthy ones to develop fully & prioritize their growth on the vine where we want it.
At Modales, we take pride in not using Roundup or any other synthetic herbicides. We believe this choice enhances the fruit quality & supports a healthy environment for beneficial insects, fungi, and microbiology. However, it does make the season more labor-intensive. We’ll begin manually hoeing weeds around the vines to prevent overcrowding & competition. The focus will be on larger weeds like “dock” & climbing vines such as “hairy vetch”. This selective approach helps mitigate the down-sides of these weeds while maintaining soil health.
This week, we’ll be in the vineyards applying a product called Stylet-Oil. This oil is an organic solution that suffocates fungal spores like powdery mildew & other undesirables. Starting the season with a clean slate allows us to maintain it more effectively throughout.
We encourage you to visit the tasting room and witness the ongoing work happening in the vineyard. If you plan on visiting on the weekend, we suggest you book our Modales Estate Tour & let our educated hosts guide you through the sustainable farming & winemaking practices at Modales. Click here to learn more!