Let The Trials Begin!!

Could this be the beginning of a new era of organic viticulture in the East? Could this product be the key to new organic possibilities? It very well could happen, but then it also might be just much ado about nothing! Only time, proper application technique and perseverance will tell.

We mixed up the first batch of our secret weapon Sat afternoon. It was a bit like blending roux into the Thanksgiving turkey juices... had to have the proper amount of solid to liquid in the proper sized container for it all to blend smoothly with my hand-held Cuisinart emulsifier! Never thought I'd be using the thing out in the vineyard, but it did the trick. We poured the liquid into the power sprayer and Berto misted the designated vines, it seemingly covered them adequately. I will photograph and document applications and observations on my Excel spreadsheet, monitoring closely for any new signs of Black Rot on the sprayed vines. I, of course, hope I will not see nary a spot of rot!! Check back soon!

Know Thine Enemy!

I have immersed myself into the study of the sinister life of the despicable, Guignardia Bidwellii... the malcious, despot known as "Black Rot"!..... that loathesome, evil fungal disease that is intent on destroying future crops. (Can you tell it is therapeutic for me to use as many disgusting adjectives as possible)? This multi-faceted, repugnant beast might think it will get away with such plans, but I think not!! I have learned of terms like acospores, pycnidia, conidia, spermagonia. I read of words not studied since my days of Microbiology class decades ago... mycellium, parasitic, saprophytic. I know the times of incubation, infection, sporulation.. yada, yada... And we are having the perfect season (rainy and mild) for "BR" to have its way. But I will NOT let it have its way with me! No sir! As mentioned before, if we cannot eradicate it with environmentally gentle ways, then next year we will have no choice but to use chemicals. But... I have something up my vineyard shirt's sleeve...heh heh....

The Damnation of the Sporulation??
I am working with a fantastic individual ( a plant/food scientist) from CA whose company established a patent years ago that I discovered online. He is willing to work with me on some field trials in our vineyard on a product that we think holds great promise. Trials will begin in the next couple of weeks and run through the rest of the growing season. And it seems the weather will actually now be cooperating with us, as we will need some rainy weather to test the effects of the product. sooo... Stay tuned, my friends. Progress reports will follow!

From the palm of a vine, new growth rises

He Thinks He's a Bear

We found him four years ago on our cabin porch upon our arrival one weekend.. skin and bones, about 3 months old.. a crossbreed that I figured was a combination of the ten most popular breeds of that year. Weighing just about eight pounds at the time, he has since grown and become the most loyal, faithful, smelly breathed 110 lb. dog an owner could hope to find. When people meet Boomer (aka Boom-Boom), they are struck first by his size, then by all his other redeeming qualities. People often ask if he is a bear-cross, and until now I never thought he was ;), but after seeing his love for wild blackberries, I am having second thoughts.

A Perfect Storm

Days and days of rain, the rains coming just as we entered the time in a vineyard known as "bloom". The rains continued as the caps fell off the miniscule fruit, leaving them exposed to the splashing spores at their most vulnerable time. Warm temperatures. Damp, humid nights. No chemicals. And a daughter's wedding in the midst of it all.
Black Rot. Will it be the demise of our dreams for an organic vineyard in the East, as it has for others who have shared the same dream? Or is now finally the time for the discovery of an organic treatment for this nemesis?


It was good that we were not raising a "crop" this year, for alas what little we had allowed to grow on the vines is now gone. Nearly 99% of the fruit had to be cut away. The dried up grapes looked like large peppercorns, each little grape covered with the spores of Black Rot, just waiting for the next rain so they can spread yet even further! They, along with the spotted and drying up leaves, were all removed from the vineyard. But the damage was done.

I have been in contact with major universities and with research scientists around the world. I have researched patents and contacted their owners. I have written to vineyards in the East who say they are organic. From those who have responded, no one has offered much hope. But one scientist has written to me and thinks he might be onto something. At least I have his interest.
We shall see. We are thankful and others impressed that we have managed to keep Powdery Mildew and Downy Mildew at bay in this very wet season. So we must be doing something right!

Back to the vineyard now. The fruit might be gone, but the skies, the clouds, the vines, the birds, the mountains, the wind, the dripping, sweet honey... all still here.

Oh Winter, Dear Winter... Wherefore art thou?

Chardonnay Bud Break, April 21

Whew...
In the flash of a moment...in the snip of a thousand vines, spring has fallen behind and thrown me into the thicket of summer. I still am trying to catch my breath. Pruning, tying, more pruning and tying. Rain and more rain.. sun and more sun, long stretches of both... served up by Mother Nature in portions to her liking. She is so humbling.

The vines have taken on a life of their own, rushing through infancy, toddlerhood and now dancing wildly into their untamed teens. Snip, snip.. let's slow down a bit now. Let's channel our energy, structure ourselves with some direction here. I prune off the clusters of lower leaves. I choose from the many shoots growing up from the base of the trunk. Which of you will survive this final cut? I tie to the stake the chosen ones, and I will come back in the weeks ahead, when they have grown up to reach the trellis, and lay each chosen cane down on the wire. During these weeks, I get help from sister, Cindy, who drives from Cincinnati and spends days at a time sitting by my side, clipping and tying. And hubby, Dennis, comes on his days off from the animal hospital back at the Beach and helps when he can. But the sheer number of vines (nearly 3,500 of 'em) and the minutes required by each one...














Before I can get back to lay each of the canes on the wire, they have outrun me, outpaced me, looking over their shoulders at me with a snicker and a giggle.... and alas, I cannot keep up.
They grow before my eyes. They leap to the sky. I fall to my knees...
Help.

In the midst of this, I discover yet another treasure out here in our far away place. Neighbors. From down the road they come, to my rescue. The Martin brothers, Arnold and Burton, and our ever-faithful helper, "Berto". To me, they are my "knights in farming armour". They come to the vineyard armed with generations of farming knowledge, boundless energy and a work ethic as thick and rich as their heritage here in rural Virginia. Their hands, sturdy and rugged. Their desire, strong, to learn the way of a vineyard. Their stories of their years raising "backa down in that holler". Their honesty, humility... Their loyalty....
Priceless.





With my trio's tireless help, we work together to tame the vines. Before we can get to all of them, they have grown wild. In the images below you can see that in mid May, they were growing steadily and uniformly and at that time I thought all was well... hmm.

Within four weeks, they had climbed way past the fruiting wire, heading straight to the skies above. The middle rows in the image below have been pruned back to the two canes that are laying on the wire. From here the new shoots on these canes will head upwards from the wire and will become the "canopy", filling out the spaces between the upper wires and creating the zone of photosynthesis that will nourish the plant.

But we finally bring them under control. They settle in and begin to grow in the direction that is best for them, and us! What would I have done without "my knights"?

The Birds...
I listen to the bluebirds chattering to their young, the indigo buntings filling the air with their song that is as distinctive as their bright indigo color. I repeatedly stumble upon sparrow nests in the vines themselves, once catching the actual birth, as a newborn sparrow wobbled its featherless head, the light blue shell still resting atop it like a birthing cap.


We put up a Martin house in early April, in hopes of attracting a new brood of Martins upon their migratory return to our area and points north. Every day I watched for them. Would they find this little spot in the middle of a mountain range? One day while pruning the chardonnay block, I heard a familiar, nostalgic sound above me. I looked up. A Martin! It swooped, then soared, and swooped again then left. Would it return? Two days later, again, I hear that familiar chatter from my childhood years on Lake Erie where everyone had Martin houses on the lake. Would these martins be content here, without any sign of a lake? Within two weeks they were building their nests in the house. Their young now are peeking their heads out of the hole, waiting for their next meal. They are very protective of their young and when we work near their house they often swoop low over us, chattering briskly. Nipper, beware!


And so we have our first family of martins who have claimed our vineyard as their ancestral home. Insect feeders, they are said to eat over 2,000 insects each day. I hope they have an appetite for Japanese Beetles. I expect their annual arrival any day now.

And the Bees

In keeping with the organic/biodynamic philosophies, and wanting to create a system of biodiversity in our vineyard, I thought it fitting to find us a beekeeper who can provide us with some hives. We'd like to do our little bit to help the ailing honeybee population that has been hit with a syndrome called "CCD", Collapsed Colony Disorder, in which bee colonies around the world are suddenly disappearing. Many theories exist as to the cause of this potentially disastrous situation, from overuse of pesticides, climate changes, genetically modified crops, etc. It is our hope that in practicing organic farming principles, we can keep our community of bees in a safe environment, away from toxic sprays and in return they will give us honey from our land, our poplar trees, sourwood trees, clover and countless other sources of their sweet gift to us.


Bill, the Beekeeper
When I first set my eyes on the beekeeper that Arnold had sent our way, he was walking towards me from the top of the vineyard. With his thick wavy, white hair and his long stride, his deep, southern voice as thick as his hair, I felt I was standing on a movie set for some great southern novel. And he was bringing me my bees! A great story-teller, Bill rattled off numerous tales of his ancestors who were raised in this hollow. Oh the stories.. so many to tell. But the beehives, now, where do you want the hives? We chose a spot at the bottom, center of the vineyard. The men set the stand. Leveled it. Lifted the hives off the back of Bill's truck. Old rags had been stuffed into the openings to keep the bees inside as they traveled from his place to their new home.


Bill donned a netted cap and put on a pair of long, thick gloves. We stood back. I stood waaay back. He pulled out the rags. Bees crawled out of the hole. I imagine a bit confused. They covered the side of the hive, then one by one lifted off. They found their way to the poplar trees in bloom. Their new life on our vineyard had begun.

I kept my distance. Swarms of bees.... How many times have you been stung, I asked Bill. "Oh, thousands, I suppose". I shuttered. He looked directly at me, and with a Santa Claus-like twinkle in his eye, he lowered his chin and said, "You'll be a beekeeper yourself one day. You'll see."

Sheep Notes
Our Katahdin sheep are called "hair sheep", as their coat is more like a coat of hair than wool. They shed their winter coat each spring, thus eliminating the need to bring in a shearer. Here, you can see that Dot seems reluctant to completely shed her coat, sporting a lovely Elizabethan collar. We are still working at training them not to eat the grape leaves, so they have not spent much time amongst the vines.



Days of Sprays by the Queen of Sprays
Our superlative, dynamic, biodynamic queen, sister Cindy, has studied and studied and learned of "descending and ascending moons", and "Saturn in opposition" and "black-out days" and "root and flower days". She has studied the Stellar Lunar calendar and ordered the "preps" and stirred her brews. We have sprayed with backpack sprayers the assorted preps at the proper times for them to have the greatest effect on our vineyard and the vines, all in hopes of enhancing the health and vitality of the vineyard so that dreaded diseases and mildews and molds won't find a home here. It will take meticulous "grooming" of the plants and it will take a bit of luck from Mother Nature. With days of rainy weather, we will have days of wet leaves. And any molds present in the vineyard would just love to thrive and mulitply on said leaves. Herein lies the challenge of organic farming in the mid-Atlantic. And so how have we fared with days of rain you ask?
Not very well.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Nearly eight inches of rain in the first two weeks of June alone. Days and days of wet leaves after a very soggy May. We have held at bay mildews such as powdery and downy with our sprays. We have rotated a variety of potions, alternating sprays of Stylet oil, unpasteurized milk, tea tree oil mixtures, sulfur. They seems to have done the job so far, as long as we can keep the canopy open so that air can flow through. The canopy in the lower pinot block seems thicker than I would like and that area gets hit by the morning sun a bit later than the rest of the vineyard. I must get down there to thin them a bit, sooner rather than later.

Spots are appearing on many of the leaves. Our research indicates we have the beginnings of a fungal disease called "Black Rot", for which there is no organic cure. We remove the leaves as they appear...a time-consuming task. Can we contain it by removing the new spores? Doubtful, but at least we might help slow down the spread. I must investigate, utilizing my greatest resource, the internet!



Ahh...
I head down the road, walking briskly, reflecting and stopping at my (and the dogs) favorite watering hole. I sit on a mossy, damp rock next to the rapid waters of the creek. The waters gurgle, the damp leaves of last fall perfume the air. The dogs drop into the chilly pool of water and lap up a drink as they rest. No matter what brews up there on those wet vines, all is well.

And Winter Turns To Spring

Ankida sunrise at "Winter Solstice", the southern most point of the sun

First Day of Spring
"Vernal Equinox"

The sun continues its journey northward, far from its most southern position at the winter solstice. Subconsciously, one knows. The shadows on the mountains have changed. Bluebirds gather. I walk through the woods, and the spicy fragrance of autumn's fallen leaves rises from a warming earth. And the fog. I have grown to know it as the harbinger of change. Thick and white, it snakes its way over the valleys and at times settles up here on the mountain, and days are spent in a soft, quiet cloud. Winter quietly recedes, leaving behind one last snowfall to kiss the earth goodbye for another year. It has done its work. It put the mountain to sleep, coaxing it into a good long rest. And then the March winds come and the trees stretch. Ahh.... Spring is here.

One last snowfall










And the sun melts away winter's last kiss


Anticipation, with Trepidation
We find ourselves stepping joyfully, yet hesitantly into spring. I say that because much of what we learned over the winter will be put to the test in this, our second year of vine growth. Our winter was spent devouring viticulture information... reading, attending conferences, visiting vineyards and researching all we could find on the internet. As every good novel needs a villain, we are told our villains will be many as we attempt to practice organic viticulture in the East.

The Virginia Vineyard Association's annual meeting was informative, the people interesting and fun. But we found it rife with villainous topics... leafroll virus, powdery mildew, grape root borer, phomopsis... and on and on. And with each mischief-maker, the treatment was one form of chemical or another. When we mentioned we were trying to keep our vineyard organic, we were met with dire warnings. It was nothing new, we'd heard the warnings before, but when one focuses in depth on anything, that becomes their world. And there we were, immersed in a world of pests, disease and chemicals. Not the image I had envisioned of our vineyard. But will this in fact become our reality as our vineyard grows?

A couple vines displayed this darkened area. We must investigate.

And a Different Kind of Seminar

The following week Dennis and I attended a conference in DC on "Biodynamic Viticulture". This seminar was a stark contrast to to our previous week's VVA conference. Here we listened to presentations from vineyardists around the world who are successfully farming their vineyards organically and biodynamically. They spoke not of chemicals and pestilence but of vineyards as healthy, balanced living organisms, of vines and flowers flourishing together, of bluebirds and honeybees, smiling faces on workers.... (where are the harps and angels singing, you ask?) The two conferences came from different perspectives. The BD seminar focused on a "balanced" vineyard, preventative care, on plant and soil health and organisms living together in an environment where the focus of survival is not in the application of the "cides of death"... of fungicides, insecticides, herbicides. At this seminar we were met with much encouragement and were told, yes it can be done. We inwardly sighed, with some hesitation.. these folks had not farmed on the East coast of America. But they offered tremendous support and encouragement, a refreshing change for us that renewed a sense of hope.

Most vines were bright and green inside. Good stuff!

Wine Tasting at the French Embassy
In conjunction with the BD Seminar in Washington, dozens of organic and biodynamic vineyards from around the globe held a wine tasting at the Embassy. There I tasted flavors I have never before tasted in a wine. Unique, complex, intricate and truly expressive of the place where the grapes were grown. It is our hope to achieve the same unique expression of our terroir in our grapes. We will try our best not to alter our soil's flavor that is specific to our particular site. What will that flavor be? What will the components of our soil feed to our grapes? How brightly will the sun shine on our leaves? How steady will the breezes flow over our vines? So many unknowns, but still, so much wonder. A time rich with expectation as we try to peek into the future.

If Not Chemicals, Then What?
How will we avoid using conventional applications of chemicals? We will use an army of techniques and applications whose purpose is to keep the soil microbial rich and lightly textured. We will maintain an abundant supply of beneficial insects to prey on the "bad bugs" by not spraying pesticides that kill indiscriminately. We have put up bluebird and purple martin birdhouses to attract these insect eating birds. To keep the air flowing through the vines we will focus on our canopy management. We will use specially prepared BD sprays and an assortment of organically approved products to spray on the vines such as stylet-oil, sulfur, raw milk (yes, raw milk.. more about that in a later entry).


The Mighty Compost
Dennis has been brewing since last autumn a rich, compost pile. The compost is one of the main components of BD farming. Its importance to the life of the soil cannot be overstated. It not only recycles organic wastes, it stabilizes nitrogen in the soil and builds humus, essential for the roots to breathe and readily absorb their "daily nutrients". It enhances soil health, and thus the vine's health. Bella must realize its importance, as she frequently perches herself atop it, perhaps to guard this valuable aspect of our farm. She is after all a guard dog!

The Queen of Sprays

And my sister, Cindy, our apprentice "biodynamic consult" is studying the BD calendar, selecting the days we should spray the assorted BD preps, each one having its own purpose to help create a balanced soil and thriving, healthy plants whose immune system is strong. I think of Biodynamics as adding another layer of protection, health and general well-being to our vines and the vineyard and farm as a whole, an inter-connected organism that sustains itself on all levels.

The Intimacy of Pruning
I have grown to know my vineyard well. I know each of the nearly 3,500 vines. Personally! I pruned nearly every clipping myself, examined each trimming. This gives me a sense of comfort. Nearly every vine is healthy, the cutting slices a healthy green inside. For me, pruning is peaceful. Therapeutic. And all the bending over, kneeling down, standing up, added tone to this not so young body. I felt no stiffness, no back aches, no hand cramping. I like to attribute it to the energy of the vines themselves, the joy they give back to me. If joy can be tasted in a wine, our wine will most certainly impart such a flavor.

An Assortment of Size
The sizes of the vines ranged from one foot high, scraggly things, to arched, sprawling eight foot canes. I tagged those that seemed a bit too small or who had an odd spot here or there. I will tend to those more closely.
The vines were pruned back to two shoots, usually about two or three inches high. Each shoot was left with two to three buds on it. From these buds, we will select the strongest one, and that will become the main trunk for that side of the vine. (More on the pruning process in the next update)

Typical vine pruned to two shoots

All My Children
For now, the vines are still young... needing tender care and a nurturing hand. I wonder if the saying, "as children grow, so do the problems" can apply to a vineyard... if the reason this past year went so smoothly was because the vines weren't old enough to get themselves into trouble? We will raise them so their foundation is strong and healthy, their aspirations high... their structure strong enough to weather the temptations, to not succumb to the peer pressures of mildew and cane spot, and leaf rot and black rot, or chum with those nasty root borers and such. Nice, little vines..... Be good now...


Poignant Reflections
A vine "reflects" its surroundings... notice the upside down image of the nearby mountain in this droplet of sap. I see this as symbolic of our vines truly "reflecting" all that surrounds them and all that lies within them. What priceless beauty, this simplicity.

Happy New Year!

First Christmas at the Vineyard

Our first family holiday enjoyed from our home overlooking the vineyard... a weekend so magical I nearly expected to catch a glimpse of Santa and his reindeer flying over the vineyard up to our chimney-top. Four children, spouses/fiances, three grandbabies, seven dogs (not counting Dan and Bella!) were present to initiate this house and a "Christmas Vineyard" into our holiday memory bank. Our Saturday morning sunrise above the clouds added to the experience, when we truly felt like we were in that place where heaven and earth join... Ankida.


A Family That Prunes Together Stays Together!
We, of course, spent much of our time together in the vineyard, where everyone learned how to pre-prune the vines, getting a feel for a dormant vine and the life that lies within it. They got to feel with their fingertips the two tiny buds left behind that will bring us next year's growth, the little buds that will eventually become the main trunk of the vine. For now they are waiting quietly till spring. Then one sunny mild day after a warm spring rain they will wake up and begin their reach to the sky, on their quest to become the "lifeline" to the minuscule structure of the grapes themselves already nestled deep within them. But for now, they rest, as do we.


Bella Guards a Different Kind of Flock
Our now 85lb and still growing puppy, Bella, has learned quickly how to guard the flock of sheep, our "woolly weeders of the vineyard". She now does most of the night barking and chasing while her mentor, Dan, stays put, letting out a bark or two, having in his mind reached semi-retirement now that Bella can take over. Bella kept us company in the vineyard, and as dusk grew thick and the air chilled, she offered up a bountiful supply of nuzzling and warmth.... and in those moments I am sure, thought nothing of the sheep she was supposed to be protecting! But rest assured, if anything had tried to harm any of us at the time, she would have sprung into action and guarded her flock of family.

And Our Orchard...
At the southeastern tip of the vineyard, everyone got to plant their own vintage variety of apple tree that we purchased from the most delightful of apple tree farms, Vintage Virginia Apples in Albemarle County (www.vintagevirginiaapples.com). They have created a virtual living museum of historical and rare fruit trees. It warms my heart to be able to support their work. We planted such exotic varieties as Arkansas Black, Rhode Island Greening, Winter White Pearmain and Albemarle Pippin. We will add to this collection as time goes on, creating an orchard to complement our vineyard. As is required in the vineyard, we will have to exercise the virtue of patience as we wait the two or more years to taste the fruit of our labors. Our toddler grandsons are too young to remember this planting, but in years to come they will certainly delight in tasting the fruit off the trees they helped plant this Christmas of 2008.

A Winter Solstice Moon to Remember
The first day of winter arrived just days after a full moon that was the largest appearing moon in over thirty years. I walked down to the vineyard that night to catch a glimpse of this sight and savored the symbolism of this mighty winter solstice moon hanging brightly over our new vineyard.

Happy New Year from our family to yours!