Date: May 16, 2008 @ 4:08 AM

Hot Update…

Farmers like to talk about the weather. Actually, we prefer to complain about it. Some of us aren’t into discussing sports…the weather is easier, it’s always changing, and we know that steroids aren’t involved in all those weather records.

A few weeks ago, we were protecting our vineyards from frost. Aaron and crew proudly wear their “ Battle for Barrow –Frost 2008” hats (in reference to a vineyard that needed particularly vigilant care.)

“Weather…Wait a few minutes and it will change.” Some New England friends first told me that many years ago. They think it is most true for them and the rest of us don’t try to argue. We waited and the weather changed. It got hot. Really hot! (And it is only May.) It was hot enough that we weren’t the only ones thinking about hanging out in the frozen foods section. (It’s amazing who shows up there.) Last night we ordered dinner from Villa Corona so we wouldn’t get more heat in the house. You get the idea…HOT.

Vineyards can’t run over to Safeway and those fans that are so good for frost won’t cool down a vineyard. (Vines don’t sweat so the breeze only makes it worse.)  Too much heat can be a bad thing. It will be a little while before we see how much of a problem this creates.

If the vines experience too much stress (heat and not enough water) some shoots may end up stunted. (Maybe I experienced excess stress at an early age?)  Since we have started flowering in some areas, we may get a significantly lower set than if the weather were normal. Flowering does best when it isn’t too wet, too cold, too windy, too hot…you get the idea. Flowering is kind of like Goldilocks visiting the Bear’s house. With the hot weather we also had significant winds, and many flowers seemed to be quite dry. In 1988, a heat spell at flowering cost many growers between one-third and half of the crop.

We are ready for the fog to return…anytime…