News

State of the Vineyard - Summer 2015

Harvest is around the corner, with our first load of Moscato Bianco due to arrive on the crush pad any moment. Our winemaker and his team have been readying harvest equipment to prep for 2015's harvest. We caught up with Winemaker Rusty Folena, Owner Jim Gullett, and Vineyard Manager Dave Brown for a progress report on the vineyard and winery.

AK: So what are the most important things being done in the vineyard right now?

JG: The grapes are already starting to go through véraison, or "the onset of ripening." We have recently sprayed the vines with Surround (a clay type product similar to Kaopectate which serves as a natural sunscreen on the grapes), and will soon be spraying the olive trees with it as well. While the olive trees don't need it for sunscreen purposes, the spray doubles as an olive fly deterrent.

AK: Is there anything else you'll be doing on the vineyard leading up to harvest?

RF: We will go through the vineyards and roll the canes from the right side of the vine to the left on all our rows that run North to South. This allows the grapes to get gentle morning sun and afternoon shade. Sangiovese grapes tend to be delicate, so we want to do what we can to avoid having them hit by the intense afternoon sun.

AK: I know that last time we spoke, bunch counts seemed to be a bit down from previous years, but you were in the process of re-counting and evaluating the vineyard for signs it needed to be irrigated. What were the results, and did you have to start irrigating?

JG: With last year being a bumper crop, bunch counts are down this year, as expected. While we will continue to watch the vines for signs of stress, at this point we have not needed to irrigate.

AK: On the winery side, what is being done in order to help prep for harvest?

DB: Our crew is currently going through and making sure all of the harvest equipment is repaired and serviced, bins are being cleaned, and barrels prepped. The 2014 vintage wines are also being racked their final time until after harvest is complete.

AK: If guests want to come see harvest in action, when would you recommend visiting Noceto?

JG: With harvest expected to be slightly earlier than last year, I would encourage guests to come up in August or September. Harvest is a great time of year to take a Farm-to-Glass tour, and there is plenty to see both in the vineyard, and in the winery. 

AK: Thank you gentlemen. We'll be sure and check in soon, as Harvest 2015 gets underway. Make sure and check us out on Facebook for updates on harvest!