Tom Scott Vineyard Newsletter - Summer 2013 - Barn Burner Cabernet Sauvignon
Dear Friends,
Today is a perfect day to talk about the weather; it's raining. While that might not be unusual in most parts of the country, here in the Napa Valley it's almost unheard of. In 2011 we had rain the first week of June that was the first June rain in 59 years … so this must be the second!
 Usually we have no measurable rain from June to October. The vines blast along on sunshine and ground water all spring until August, when we begin monitoring the plants for water stress. Moderate stress is important to maintain, as it builds character which leads to fine wine. Using a device called a "Pressure Baum" (shown on the left,) Tom places a leaf in a sealed chamber and applies pressure until the water in the leaf is forced back out the stem. This lets us know how hard the plant is working to up-take water through its root system. Depending on the reading, we would begin a water cycle, which takes three and a half days to complete. We might also hydrate the plants in advance if we see a hot spell approaching.
The weather this year has been unique in a couple of ways. First, we had no rain the first quarter of the year, usually our rainy season. Second, the frost alarm at TSV didn't go off once! That's a first in the 13 years we've been growing our grapes. While the days were perfect spring weather, the nights just never reached the alarm threshold of 34°. And now we have rain in the first week of summer?
So, how do we think all this weather will affect our grapes and farming practices? The lack of rain hasn't been a problem for us yet. As we've said, the plants are growing on ground water; in effect we're dry farming until August. In August the plants stop producing vegetative growth and begin focusing on ripening the fruit; this is called "veraison." From this point on, we want to maintain the plants in a moderately stressed condition. In the past there has always been enough ground water to get us to veraison. This year we don't know yet how the lack of rainfall in the first quarter of the year has affected our ground water supply. We will be paying close attention to the vines though, looking for physical indications that they are becoming too stressed too early. Depending on the weather and their physical condition, Tom may begin checking the water uptake of the plants with the Pressure Baum earlier than August, and we may then have to consider an early watering cycle.
 One pleasant side effect of the lack of a frost season, was that Tom didn't have to get out of bed in the middle of the night and head out into the cold! Due to the effect of our pruning (delaying bud bread) and the nature of Cabernet (late bud break,) we don't usually have much to worry about during frost season, which is April to June. But the sensors in the field usually set off our alarm 3 or 4 times during a "normal" spring. While Tom is always quick to respond, and in fact gets a lot of "shop time" in while monitoring the temperature, this year there were no complaints!
The effect of this late rain is perhaps a little more of an issue. The vines are currently full, lush and dense. We've already hedged the rows once, and they are almost ready for a second trim. Tom has been applying a sulfur application to the vines about every two weeks since the canes were about 6 inches long. The sulfur penetrates the canopy and helps keep the vines mildew-free. The rain though can both wash off the sulfur and create a damp environment for the development and spread of mildew. As soon as this unseasonable rain ends, Tom will again spray the vineyard with sulfur. The combination of the spray, the sunshine and wind should prevent any major problems, but we'll have to stay vigilant. Once the vines go through veraison in early to mid-August, the increased sugar in the berries will make them naturally resistance to mildew. But until then it's game on!
Weather is simply one of the things that make farming such a wondrous challenge. That weather varies somewhat from year to year is natural. Here at TSV those variations are really very manageable ... just as long as we don't forget who's in charge, Mother Nature!
• We've just released our large format 2010 Barn Burner bottles! The 750mls won't be released until October. If you're interested in a Magnum, 3 Liter, 6 Liter or a 9 Liter (pictured here, a case of wine in one bottle!) order them now, as they tend to sell out quickly.
• The Wine Auction Napa Valley was a huge success. The event raised a record-breaking 16.9 million dollars! We are very proud to be a part of the Auction each year, and want to thank all of you that participated … it's a great event for great causes and you get to bid on great wine … a 'win-wine' situation!
• This year more friends than ever have visited us. As Barn Burner is truly a wine made on the vine, we've had fun sharing the experience of our vineyard, and it's a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, or a morning!
Have a happy summer!
Tom and Lauren Scott
www.tomscottvineyard.com
www.tomscottvineyard.com/wineshop
info@tomscottvineyard.com
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