As we prepare to harvest our Marquette grapes earlier than expected, the unpredictability of the weather has added a unique set of challenges. Rain threatens to dilute the sugars in the grapes and complicates crucial vineyard tasks like spraying and thinning. While our Marquette crop is smaller, the quality is excellent due to careful management to avoid overcropping. With rain forecasted through the weekend, we’re gearing up for a window of clearer skies on Monday to bring in this important harvest.
Tag: black rot
Tutorial: The Art & Science of Thinning – Why Dropping Grapes is Essential for Quality Wine
Thinning, or “dropping” clusters, is a vital vineyard management technique that balances the vine’s load. By removing some grape clusters, we allow the remaining grapes to develop more fully, delivering better ripeness, more concentrated flavours, and an overall higher quality harvest. This process also gives the vine the chance to focus its resources on fewer clusters, leading to healthier grapes with optimal sugar content and flavour profiles.