Veraison Begins

Golubok and LaBelle are showing the first signs of the grapes turning color. That means harvest is expected by Mid September, maybe earlier.

Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)

I'm seeing these pretty butterflies in the vineyard lately. Over the weekend I was able to get feedback from several friends on the Sangiovese. Despite its youth, it is shaping up pretty nicely and has plenty of yummy berry fruitiness and rich red wine lushness. The muscats and

Woolcarder Bee in the Monastery Muscat

Monastery Muscat has a pretty fuzzy underside of the leaf. This woolcarder bee decided it's worthy nest material.

Bold Jumper spiders

I only learned about this species this year. Just like a car that you recently bought, now I am seeing them everywhere. I was particularly happy to see they're willing and able to tackle a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, since those are grapevine sapsuckers. Grapes are vigorous, to

Polyphemous Moth

Another beautiful reason to stay away from pesticides, this moth found at our vineyard. Meanwhile, the growth in the vineyard has been spectacular. We'll have at least eleven LaBelle vines on the 6' high cordon wire this year. Four or five Monastery Muscat, a few Jupiter and

2025 Chenin Blanc

Style: off dry Varietal: Chenin Blanc, plus 15% Sèmillon and a splash of white muscat Source: Paradisos del Sol, Zillah, WA, Paul Vandenberg Initial brix: 22 Initial pH: 3.4 Ingredients & Additives 85% Chenin 15% Semillon Preparation & Procedure Crushed and destemmed 2025-09-07 Topped once with muscat.

Wild Kingdom

Life is absolutely popping in the vineyard right now. I saw a pretty lupine and went in for a closer picture, only to discover a grasshopper hidden within the inflorescence. After that I started noticing quite the community of tiny , cute green creatures.

Obvious Vigor

People say grapevines are "weeds" but my experience has been mixed. Many of my young transplants have struggled to gain a foothold. Quite the opposite result with this LaBelle vine that I transplanted as a mature plant. Between that success and the first blooms from my Drouhin Zephirine

Ornate Checkered Beetle (Trichodes ornatus)

#ThingsIFoundInTheVineyard I'm going to continue cataloging the various species I find in the vineyard. First because I like to learn all their names and second, I like to know all the things that can survive in a spray-free vineyard.

Sangiovese 2025

Style: Plain red, minimal American oak chips during fermentation. Varietal: Sangiovese 85%, Leon Millot 15% Grape Source: Paradisos del Sol Zillah, WA and Woodland WA, respectively. Both vineyards operated with no fungicide sprays. pH 3.35 Drink from fall 2026 to 2031

Flowers Opening, Final Week of May

Looks like Leon Millot is the earliest flowering vine I have. It's been blooming for a week now. LaBelle just started today. It makes sense, they are two of the earliest to complete ripening. Cayuga White and the Muscats won't be far behind.

Ground Frost, 2 weeks after "last frost" date

This was a shocker. May 29th we had frost that destroyed tender shoots that were 12 inches or below in the lower 2/3rds of the vineyard. Everything above that height was completely unaffected. Most of our vines are tall enough to have dodged this frost. Simultaneously I am getting

LaBelle on Tall Bamboo

Recent rain gave these two LaBelle vines what they need to climb up tall bamboo poles. The long tendrils indicate plentiful water is available to the vine. There's real vigor in these plants. Daisy and Lupine are just now blooming underneath the vines. It looks "neglected"

Notes on #2 Foch Rosé

This is the wine I served at my son's graduation party. I selected it for that event because it is a crowd pleaser. A fresh, fruity, aromatic wine, low in tannins; perfect for a group including casual to experienced wine drinkers. Also, salmon was featured on the menu

Great Growth

The vines are really popping now. There's something thrilling about each glossy new leaf. I just had a great experience sharing Maréchal Foch rosé with a group of people who resoundingly agreed with my assessment that the wine was exceptional. This boosts my conviction that we're

LARGE Bug

I heard and then felt this heavy bug fly onto my back as I was walking up the driveway yesterday. Last year another species of jewel beetle landed on my hat in the same fashion. I take immense pleasure in living side by side with the widest variety of native

Vineyard Update #1

First, thank you to all who came to visit us at the vineyard this weekend, your interest is the lifeblood of the farm/winery! I was charmed by so many things, the eco-conscious children, the excitable puppies and the enthusiasm for our "*cide-free" farm and vineyard.

New Music Monday #2 - Riddy Arman

Riddy Arman's most recent album isn't exactly new, but I guess under appreciated. Her themes just what I love, clear-eyed about the ways of the world and yet creating beauty from it. And her voice is solid and balanced, it has world class power and

Deer Zone

It's helpful to know how high a deer can feed. Above that point you can let your vines grow free of cages. I'm on the tall side for a human, so "the deer zone" ends near the top of my shirt pocket. Of course

Biodiversity Challenge #1

Everyone thinks deer are harmless, benign, beautiful, elegant forest creatures until they start a garden at the forest's edge. That's when it becomes clear that deer are the Great White Sharks of the plant world. Just like you would never keep baby seals in open water

New Music Monday #1

Wait, this is supposed to be a newsletter about wine growing, right? Yes, but popular demand has spoken and there are no extra fees for posting more often, sooo.... May I recommend to you: Aldous Harding Her music is interesting, ethereal, quirky, touching, poetic, complex, beautiful, unexpected and more. The

Free Labor

One thing about farmers is they love free labor. It's tricky getting people to work for free but other animals, like praying mantis', spiders and bees provide crop protection services "for the love of the game", if you will. I'm grateful for the

Starting Cuttings

To get to a healthy start that can weather the rigors of the vineyard, I am using a hybrid system, meant to increase the likelihood that a cutting will survive the process, but also without a heavy investment of labor. Give the potted cuttings a dowsing rinse, so the soil

Mushrooms are a Good Thing™️

Forests, with their wealth of falling leaves, needles, branches and entire trees, are the perfect environment for fungal diversity. To the extent possible, as agricultural professionals, we should try to emulate the forest floor. These wood chips are a great example, supporting the 'pheasant's back' mushroom