An adventure in growing Arizona grapes
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Harvest 2018
Harvest 2018 When we planted our first Sauvignon blanc vines in 2009 it was an experiment to see how well the variety would do. After all we are at 5000’ feet elevation in an arid climate with monsoonal summers during ripening. The fine wines industry was just starting to develop in our area with two…
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Assyrtiko Harvest 2017
After 5 years, the first two Assyrtiko vines from UC Davis have given us a mature crop. These vines take a lot of patience, but they’re perfect for our Monsoon climate. The clusters are full but the berries are separated and resist the humidity. The skins are tough and full of tannins that express the…
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Harvest August 2017
It’s been a wet Monsoon season. Almost twice as much rain as a normal summer. We’re really pleased with the Sauvignon blanc crop. The grapes are full and ripe. Insect pressure wasn’t as bad as last year due to spraying at the first sign of Rose Chafer beetles. There were very few Grape Colopsis beetles.…
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Harvest 2016
2015 found us unable to take care of the vineyard. It was more important for a father to walk his daughter down the aisle in California than harvest his grapes. Even though I had help taking care of the vineyard nature dealt a fatal blow to the crop before it could be harvested. The bird…
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Spring vines 2014
We have high hopes for the crop this year. The Sauvignon blanc vines are now 5 years old. This is the first year we’ve analyzed the leaf petioles. The results show an optimal balance with just a little nitrogen deficiency. Surprisingly, the potassium content in all vines is very high which is good for the development of the…
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The crop
Harvest on August 11 was a success. Ladies and gentlemen… We have Sauvignon blanc.
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This year’s bud break
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Winter in the high desert
Planning for Spring • Pruning • Frost Protection • Pest Control
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Pests posing as guests A.K.A: Rose Chafer beetles
These varmints showed up about a month before harvest. In the last two weeks, they began to eat at the canopy of the vines. The preferred method of eradication was placing a pheromone trap to lure the beetles away from the vines. This was done within the last week before harvest as shipping for the trap took longer than expected. These little pests…
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The perils of growing Sauvignon blanc in South-Eastern Arizona
No, your vineyard won’t look like this in August! This photo was taken in December before pruning the grapevines for winter.
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