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Finished mid-season pruning. Looking good with hot and dry weather - just irrigation right now but leaves look pretty healthy. Hoping for a good year (as we all are!) Dave

April 24 and maybe the coldest April on record, statewide. Buds are swelling, but bud break is still awhile to come...

I was interested to see what Mike suggested, after he posted above. Mike is highly experienced in small batch stuff but is also the "industry" guy (he's a research chemist) you were wondering about earlier. Maybe he'll jump back in...

Merry Christmas from snowy Montana! Santa was good to us this year and we hope to you as well! -Dave

(in what follows, last brix is given in parentheses, from 9 Oct. pH also unknown) I have a backyard vineyard ("Missoula Vineyard" on Winetalk). There are - literally - a few Foch (brix 18-20), a few Pinot Noir (bx 12-24), about 12-14 Leon Millot (bx16-24). I also have 4-5 reisling (bx12-20)...

Mike, it will be interesting to see what results from this disaster. Several years ago, here in Montana we had smoke and ash (from the Lolo Fire 10 miles away) at this time of year for several weeks, and the bottles from that year were labeled, "Smoky Red"! There was a smoky taste as well...

Thanks, Steve - I really hadn't connected the dots that the C/D was doing its job, but the "some" stems were not being kicked out the end, but dropping down through into the must. I think I'll try your (screen) method this year. As some have mentioned, you will always get stems... the issue...

I've been following this thread with interest. The posts with descriptions of "no stems" and "all stem" seemed to be so different from my experience. I have one of those hand-cranked crusher-destemmers with a couple of "paddles" on the interior barrel. I find that about 1/3 (or even less) of...

May the Fourth Be With You! (I have just the beginnings of bud swell - not even bud-break yet!)

So much is being learned that will be helpful in the future. But, the differences in locale are profound; just as my biggest worry is getting to be bud-break while others are posting pictures on "show us your clusters!" Montana begins our gradual opening Sunday, beginning with houses of...

Ah! "perspective" - that's exactly what is needed right now! The graph in Boatboy's post yesterday is what is happening in a lot of places - it is well on its way down here in Montana, having peaked on March 26th. So, what is happening in New York, particularly NYC and across the river in...

All good advice, above - the only thing I haven't read is to keep the roots wet/damp - don't let them dry out. Bare root vines always have the roots wrapped in something that keeps the roots wet. Re-plant as quickly as possible. You'd want to tag each vine with the varietal, since you have so...

Back to the topic... Here in Montana we are seeing a downturn, or lessening, of new cases/day since a high on March 26 (35) trending down through the 20's per day and in the last couple days 15 per day. We have had 6 deaths - one the other day after a couple weeks of 'only' 5, three of which...

That weekend completed the change in leaves from burned to brown - and mine have been inoculated with MLF too. Just watching and staying warm! (For those who follow all this: Montana is a big state and what you may see in one place - like the pictures in Glacier from several weeks ago that...

I am about finished with fermentation - getting ready to add malolactic and then let them set for a few months. I think, Rick, I could have let them go through that first cold snap and give them about 10 more days - our weather was pretty good overnight her in MSO until a couple days ago.

An INDOOR pool, maybe.... :db

Yeah - I saw that Mike! I think that was taken in the Ranger housing area at St. Mary on the east side of the divide - much worse over there. We've mostly stopped at an inch - inch-plus! It's 38* but we are still in the middle of the storm. So... "we'll see!"

I have vineyard bird netting (from Wilson Orchard Supply in Washington state) - it's either 3/4 or maybe even 1" - I've never actually measured. The netting is green with white lines along the length - and a double white line to easily see the "half way" mid-point to give seven feet to a side...

Could be worse! See my Missoula Vineyard post! I was trying to get another 10 days....