68 replies to this topic

[Don Giovanni]

Finger Lakes UPDATE: WE ARE OK...NO FROST !!!...ty G-d we will be making a donation for such fantastic luck...as of last night early we looked screwed...the wood was in place, hay, etc...and you know me ...I was up driving around all night checking the temps ready to start the fires...running on Adrenalin it's time to grab a cat nap for a for a few hours ...

before I hit the bed ... I am making a toast to Mother Nature this AM, although she gave us all a slight heart attack, kept us respecting what we can't control...

Now we should be safe...and I just knocked wood so hard my knuckles hurt...time for some AM wine to help me unwind...

Our low was 34 F ... it was high drama with itchy fingers wanting to burn wood, hay, rice husks...the wood will now be used for a bond fire when we are 100 % sure we are ok...it looks that way, so this is how I will think, positive...can't waite for the no frost party...any excuse...;)

anyone who ever planted a flower or anything and lost it to weather is scared with this memory...mine is still hurting from 04'...I think I am rambling on so...who ever sent us warm thoughts TY...

Cheers !!!

[zoe b]

Glad you were safe--we were wondering whether our tiny garden would survive here in NW NJ--but nothing like having a vineyard to really up the angst level.

There's a reason why farmers are pessimists, isn't there?


Zoe

[docsconz]

Good news. My part of NENY was spared as well despite warnings. A frost this late could create havoc. The general warning here is not to plant frost sensitive plants until after Memorial Day, though.

[GordonCooks]

I was praying for warm winds down your way.

cheers

[Don Giovanni]

Thanks for your warm wishes they worked...!!!

Finger Lakes East Side of Seneca Lake the Banana Belt region...

We are done with frost for the LT forecast with some highs in the 80's coming up...we are pasted the frost ...that was a real big problem...

Well the wife gets credit for this idea...she bought some flats of Petunia flowers told me to place them around the cold spots in the vineyards...how they survived during the last two nights, was no different than using a Canary in a tunnel...

PETUNIA(Named from petun, Brazilian name for tobacco, to which Petunia is allied)

It worked...took all the guessing out...those delicate flowers look very alive, it's just like they are talking to me...


http://thm-a01.yimg....b126b8dfa597dc8

[CKatCook]

Glad to hear you made it!

I could not plant anything in my garden till just this past week due to late cool snaps.

Here's to good fortune for you!!!

[Don Giovanni]

Well...update...5/31/2009



Looks like a long night...wood , hay still in place from the last close call...and I thought we were going to have a nice bond fire with it...we shall see low dew point...propane ready...last time we were 1.5 degrees from starting the fires...

Tonight I don't like how the sky is so clear and the air so crisp...back in 2001 we had a frost mild on 5 31 2001 ... that was a legendary vintage...the cup is still looking very full, we will beat this back...

Now for some rest before the action...

tonight I know on Keuka the hills will be burning , as they will get hit...maybe we will send them some warm air...warm thought please, for the last time this year...TY




Quote:
.FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM EDTMONDAY...A FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM EDT MONDAY.MAINLY CLEAR SKIES...LIGHT WINDS AND AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASSWILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO TUMBLE INTO THE MIDDLE 30S. FROST ISLIKELY TO COVER MUCH OF THE REGION...AND SOME OF THE COLDER RURALVALLEYS MAY SEE TEMPERATURES VERY CLOSE TO FREEZING WITH A HARDFROST LIKELY.

[Don Giovanni]

4:46 AM looks like we made it...low of 36 ...now she is moving up temp 42 F ...time for bed...for some quick rest...

I hope this will be the last time I ask for warm thoughts...!!! TY...

Very happy... Cheers !!!

[GordonCooks]

We once again did the warmth prayer as we sat outside smoking cigars. We were blowing the smoke south to help out.

[Don Giovanni]

With harvest coming very soon a few weeks ...we will have a smaller crop...we dropped fruit so we could get a very good ripe fruit...we will let the grapes hang a bit longer this year...

Could be still ok when it's over then I will comment... Cheers !!!

[Don Giovanni]

Looks like we are going to start to bring in the whites in the next 7 days...sugars are 15% or Brix looking for a bit more...some sugars are highs, but they are thick skinned grapes and will be harvested after...



we had one #ell of a season , wet and very hard...black rot hit many vineyards...we will crop at 40% due to the dropping of the bad fruit during the season...still the grapes look good to great...we have sun this week, thus far...



Cheers !!!

[Don Giovanni]

Early whites like Aurora and Cayuga White are in...concords are slow with the sugar this year...last week they went to deep purple...Catawba are being slow to produce any good sugar...low sugars ...reds, don't ask;)...moving very slow...Riesling if cared for in the vineyard will be just fine...Remember just because you don't have a great Red year does not mean you can't have a great white wine year !!!Cheers !!!

[pax]

I love these updates. I never said anything before but I thought you'd like to know I appreciate them. In fact, with this post you've inspired me to start paying attention to my local wines. Here I am blathering on about eating local, and I'm drinking Australian shiraz, and German whites, and cooking with Italian reds.

And I have a treasure trove of wines in my back garden.


Slainte!

[pax]

I love these updates. I never said anything before but I thought you'd like to know I appreciate them. In fact, with this post you've inspired me to start paying attention to my local wines. Here I am blathering on about eating local, and I'm drinking Australian shiraz, and German whites, and cooking with Italian reds.

And I have a treasure trove of wines in my back garden. *forehead slap*


Slainte!

[GordonCooks]

How are your Chards looking kiddo?

[Don Giovanni]

How are your Chards looking kiddo?

Gordo,

Selling the Chard grapes this year..making Pinot Grigio ...still have some 05' Chard un-oaked ...

Cheers !!!

[Don Giovanni]

well if you did what I did and bring in the WHT fruit in early you made the grade A+ ...because we had 2 weeks of sun then rain for weeks now on end...

this will be a small fruit year for us 40% of the crop safe the rest rot, mold etc...U can't have rain everyday all summer long...

this is why I go long the great years on my Reds... Like 07's 'for get about it' off the hook Reds... over 90 pts double blind...I did a blend has to be 94 pts... min...no $hit ...

back to this harvest red hybrids ok ...

so look at the weather ... LT looks nuts mad the vines have shut down no photo syntheses so no more sugar build -up at all you have to do this ...straw mat with UV lights to break-down the bad chemicals...this is my proprietary system I have said enough... Cheers !!!

If you ever come by say hello and I just might not charge you for the tasting.... ;)

[Don Giovanni]

Well snow is on the ground in some places...grapes are on the vine...the season was cut short by one month...a good white vintage in the FL's and as for Reds nice to be in the blush business... very sad for the nice Red vintage for me a FL fail red vintage...tk G-d for LI...geographic diversity is the best in NYS if you want to make RED wines...years like this make me feel I did the right thing by utilizing the whole state...buying rows of vineyards in some cases as far as 350 miles away...or as close as 2 miles...always the year 07' to dream about it was the perfect year ever...Cheers !!!

[Don Giovanni]

I can smell spring...yesterday was a small slice...cold but the sweet air, very nice...

some pruning young hybrids and some minor training...snow radiating back warmer cold air...lows 15 F day highs 38 F when the sun is out in the vineyard on the East Side of Seneca you really get the idea of the word 'Micro-Climate' or the nick name Banana Belt...this is how we can do Reds on the East side so well for NYS...

[Don Giovanni]

this is a very busy time of year bottling coming up...I need to get on the glass Co...etc...pruning is also going on in full force...time to take a deep breath and hold it in until Nov 30 th... Cheers !!! And so the cycle begins...

weather has been very good this year for the vines...

[Don Giovanni]

Call this an old farmers call... spring began in the FLX yesterday 3/8/2010...we hit the 60's in the vineyards banana belt...want it to back off a bit we don't need early bud-break...just bottled the most wine ever, man I just can taste the season...

[Don Giovanni]

flx:::we have bud-break 3 weeks early...the glass is half full as we will not have frost with this pattern...

out looking for young neseled virgins to do the no frost dance...

[Don Giovanni]

FLX::: Low freeze warning...
Quote:AcuuWeather ::: FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY...A FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM EDT SATURDAY.

A WIDESPREAD FREEZE IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES FROM 25 TO AROUND 30 DEGREES. HIGH PRESSURE IS OVER THE AREA WITH CALM WINDS...CLEAR SKIES AND DRY AIR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

&&[/quote]

[Don Giovanni]

FLX::: We only got down to 33F on the East side Seneca Lake the hills got hit...Banana Belt works with the micro climate due to the lake being 735 FT + deep with sea level being 400 ft the geo thermals worked...nice...

[Don Giovanni]

WE BEAT THE FROST DEVILS....YES !!!!!.... LT looks very good...the FLX could have one of the earliest harvests in years ... also one of the potential best for our Reds... things are looking real good... the glass was half full after all... Cheers !!!

[Don Giovanni]

Zuccarino Report : FLX with the frost damage coming in fro the cooler sites...it's looking like for Riesling over 50 % damage... this will lead to a small crop... but the good news is the vines had 3 extra weeks growth so the vintage should be a great one ... with small crops the vine energy will make that small crop very intense... looking for a small but great vintage...

[Don Giovanni]

Ready for bloom

[Don Giovanni]

FLX: Bloom & Flowering is looking real nice...

[Don Giovanni]

things are 18 days ahead of last year

[Don Giovanni]

7/5/2010 FLX update the fruit is looking very clean... we are seeing no funk with regard to the bugs, molds etc...

looking for an early harvest in the FLX