The 2025 Growing Season Begins in Our Organic Michigan Vineyard
The vines at Modales are beginning to wake up from their long winter rest, & budbreak is just around the corner. Within days, our vineyard team—led by Vineyard Manager Ben Guerrin & Vineyard Lead Rosalio—will be in full swing, setting the stage for another vintage of organically grown, sustainably made wines. Ben & Rosalio are hard at work finishing the pruning of our 40 acres of wine grapes.
Prepping The Vineyard For Budbreak
Timing at this early stage in the year is everything. One of the most important jobs leading up to budbreak is completing winter pruning. Pruning too late—after the buds begin to open—can damage the emerging shoots, disrupt the vine’s energy balance, & make the plant more susceptible to disease. Finishing our pruning on time ensures the vine can send its full energy into the healthy canes we’ve selected to carry fruit for the season ahead.
At Modales, we don’t waste what the vines give us. After pruning, we chop & incorporate the leftover canes directly back into the soil. This simple, regenerative step adds valuable organic matter, feeds microbial life, helps improve water retention & structure in the vineyard floor. It also helps reduce the risk of fungal disease. By breaking down infected material like black rot or Phomopsis before it can overwinter, we avoid introducing unnecessary pressure into the growing season—especially important in an organic system where we don’t rely on systemic fungicides.
This process is part of our larger goal: to farm in a way that’s sustainable, circular, & rooted in living soil. Every action we take now influences the health of the fruit & the quality of the wine we’ll make later this year!
Ok, So What’s Budbreak?
As the last patches of snow melt & the soil begins to warm, something magical starts to unfold in the vineyard. The stage is now set! Budbreak is the moment grapevines begin their annual cycle of growth. Tiny brown buds swell with stored energy & gently crack open, revealing delicate green shoots. These early shoots will eventually grow into the leaves, tendrils, & grape clusters that define the vintage.
In Southwest Michigan’s cool climate, budbreak typically arrives in April or early May, depending on the variety & seasonal weather patterns. Early budbreak can be a little risky—those fresh green shoots are incredibly tender & vulnerable to spring frost—but it’s also an exhilarating time. For us, this moment marks not just the start of the growing season, but a celebration of life, renewal, & all of the potential held within each vine.
Because we farm organically, we rely on natural solutions & intentional farming practices to support the vineyard from the very beginning. Careful pruning, thoughtful airflow management, & cover cropping all play a role in protecting the young vines without the use of synthetic inputs.
We should be expecting budbreak in our estate vineyards soon! A great time to visit the winery & check out what’s happening!
What’s Next? A Season of Organic Growth
From budbreak to harvest, every step of the growing season at Modales reflects our commitment to organic, sustainable winegrowing. Here’s a quick look at what the months ahead will bring in the vineyard!
Late Spring: Shoot Growth & Bloom-
As the shoots grow taller, we begin training the canopy using our vertical shoot positioning system. This helps expose the leaves and clusters to sunlight & improves airflow through the vines—both important for disease prevention. Around June, flowering begins. This is a delicate time, as it determines how many clusters the vine will set for the year. We apply only organic-approved sprays, like sulfur & biological controls. We apply these only when absolutely necessary.
Summer: Fruit Set To Veraison-
Once the flowers are pollinated, small green berries begin to form. We continue managing the canopy by tucking shoots, hedging growth, & thinning as needed to promote balance. Soil health remains a major focus, with compost teas, organic mulches, & cover crop mowing feeding the life beneath the surface. By August, the berries begin to change color—this is veraison, the beginning of ripening.
Late Summer To Fall: Ripening & Harvest-
In the final stretch of the growing season, we watch the fruit closely. Sugar levels rise, acids soften, & flavors develop. We harvest by hand, often in small lots, so that each block is picked at peak maturity. Our organically farmed estate fruit consistently shows vibrant acidity, purity of flavor, & natural balance—qualities that make for wines of depth & character.
Fall & Winter: Rest & Regeneration-
Once the fruit is picked & the vines begin to shut down, we focus on rebuilding. Cover crops are planted or allowed to grow, capturing nutrients & preventing erosion over the winter months. At La Esperanza we bring in sheep to help with weed control & add nutrients back to our soils. The vineyard rests, & so does our team—briefly—before the cycle begins again the following spring!
Why Organic Farming Matters
As one of the only certified organic vineyards in Michigan, we take pride in the way we grow. Our vineyard practices avoid synthetic herbicides, pesticides, & fertilizers. Instead, we focus on soil biology, biodiversity, & thoughtful human intervention to produce wines that are expressive, honest, & rooted in place.
We believe in farming for the long term—building soil health, supporting pollinators & beneficial insects, & leaving the land better than we found it.
Spring is a beautiful time to visit the vineyard. The air is fresh, the shoots are just emerging, & the season is full of possibility! If you walk the rows with us, you’ll see firsthand how each vine is nurtured from the ground up—& how that care translates into every glass of Modales wine.
For a more curated look at the goings-on happening at Modales, join us for one of our “Vine to Wine” tours where you will have a chance to learn more about what it takes to craft wine.
From the first bud to the final cluster, it all starts here. We’re proud to share this journey with you. Here’s to another vintage at Modales!
