Forward Into Fall
Most years October is the pinnacle of harvest craziness. The last of the fruit is coming into the winery, some fermentations are finishing while others are just starting, and workdays are long and busy but full of excitement. True to 2020 fashion, this October has been unlike any in recent memory. For us, harvest is the culmination of everything we do. It is the time where we are able to actualize all of the hard work that goes into growing and begin to guide the fruit through its transformation from grape to wine. In this way, the joy and beauty of harvest always outweighs the stress and craziness enough to keep you coming back for more. In short, harvest is why we do what we do. What then does an October without a harvest look like?
At first glance, the idea of entire crop lost and the process of dropping all of fruit was beyond sad. Going through and dropping every cluster of beautiful fruit that had come so close to its pinnacle, only to be stricken by fire weeks before harvest was hard to swallow, but like so many things in life, time brought acceptance and that acceptance brought perspective. As we worked our way through the vineyards, often side by side with friends and family, we began to see the silver lining of a harvest lost. The fruit we dropped in the vineyard isn’t completely wasted, it is now putting more organic material and nutrients into the soil. Rather than stressing the vines through to the end of harvest, we were able to give them water to send the vines into dormancy happy and ready for their next growing season. From sharing dinner with great friends after a day of dropping fruit, seeing three generations of Hills working side-by-side in the vineyard, and witnessing the same plants that burned around the ranch begin to sprout new life, we realized that the same joy and beauty we associate with harvest never left.
Another silver lining has been the gift of added time to focus on planning for the future. In the vineyard even though we didn’t harvest the fruit, we were still able to learn. By gathering data on the average cluster weight and the average number of clusters per vine, we now better understand both what our vines are producing, and how we should adapt our farming practices moving forward. Additionally, we are beginning to gather weather data and working on selecting fields for future planting. Planting new vineyards means a ton of planning and preparation, but it is extremely exciting for us to think about planting new areas where we see high potential with some different varietals. In the short term, we are looking at planting approximately five acres of Syrah, a grape that should flourish in our climate and granitic soils. Soon, we will begin to work the soil and plant a cover crop in order to build up healthy soil for the future young vines.
Our other main focus has been on rehabilitating the ranch. We have been rebuilding the fences and assorted infrastructure lost to the fire as well as cleaning up the debris and putting out the last of the smolders. We had a scare mid-month when a tree whose roots had been burning underground burst into flame, a full six weeks after the wildfire appeared to be fully extinguished!
As everyone who came and helped in the vineyard will tell you, October here felt like full-on summer. 90+ degree days were the norm until a sudden cool down last week. Where we live is one of the lowest elevations on the property and we had our first frost on our roof early in the morning of the 25th. Days are still warm and sunny, but are now book-ended by cold, crystal-clear nighttime skies. The anticipation for rain is a strange one as we’re simultaneously praying for water to wash away the ash, feed the soil, and rejuvenate the land, while hoping that it doesn’t all come at once and wash away the fire damaged earth, taking our roads and hillsides with it.
Amongst all the craziness there has been fantastic time spent with family and friends. Some highlights of the month have included training our 3-year-old nephew Enzo as our first intern and getting to explore the property on backs of Sydney’s mom’s horses. There is definitely never a dull moment, and we’re so grateful to be able to share this experience with all of you.
Tira Nanza (& Happy Halloween!),
Greg and Sydney
