by John Clendenen*

Summertime and I suppose the livin’ should be easy, but we still seem to find lots to do in the vineyards. Our work cycle does slow as we approach harvest, with the crews working less hours and some taking vacations as time allows. At this writing, verasion (berry softening) is evident in all vineyards now and we are almost to the end of our mildew sprays. Mildew pressure seemed to be lower than some years, but we can still find a little in places were control was less than perfect.

After the extreme weather of the spring, the summer has been more tolerable. We had a few heat spikes, but even these were moderated a bit by the smoke  from the many forest fires. Some have commented on the effect the smoke might have on the flavors of the wine from this vintage. There may be some small detectable flavor nuance in some areas that were constantly smokey, but I suspect the effect, if any, will be negligible. One of the better parts of this kind of agriculture is the opportunity to speculate on these kinds of things.

This more moderate weather has allowed the smaller crop to mature and ripen well. Some varieties, such as Chardonnay, still look very light, but others like Cabernet and Zinfandel look good in some settings. We are removing a few more leaves in some blocks and thinning or evening out the crop in the heavier areas. We are planting our last green vines (didn’t we use to plant only in the springtime!) that were ordered late from the nurseries.

Soon, it will be time to get out the gondolas and bins and polish up the trucks. The long hours and sticky hands are not far away.

*John Clendenen has spent his life farming and has owned Clendenen Vineyard Management with his wife Kathy for the last 16 years.  They live in Dry Creek Valley and manage vineyards in the valley and surrounding areas.