STATUS OF BUD BREAK:
While winter hangs on in many parts of the nation, spring is rushing into
Golden State vineyards.
Bud break, the first emergence of the shoots that will grow to bear grapes
by September, is hitting Chardonnay vines in Sonoma County's Alexander
Valley. Cooler areas in the Russian River viticultural area will soon show
buds, according to Hector Bedolla, vineyard manager for Kendall-Jackson
Wine Estates.
"Typically, bud break occurs early in the warmer areas, such as the upper
elevations of the Alexander Valley floor," Bedolla said. "If you go up
in
elevation you see the cold air have the effect of delaying bud break."
There is bud elongation in the Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir in the
southern Russian River region. In two weeks, the buds will have emerged and
will continue their process of shoot growth.
Elsewhere, bud break is just beginning. It is arriving late this year in
Santa Barbara County, where February is more typical, said Kendall-Jackson
vineyard manager Bob Johnson. "When bud break is delayed as it is this
year, we see a very uniform bud break, with all buds pushing at once," he
said.
The welcome signs of spring that bud break brings can have its down side,
however. Frost can hit as late as May, and delicate new buds and be killed,
reducing the harvest in the fall.
"We have sensors in the vineyards that will dial up our home telephones and
get us out of bed at whatever time the temperatures drop below 34 degrees,"
Bedolla said. "We will go out and turn on the overhead sprinkler system if
the temperatures drop to 33. We will turn them off if the temperature rises
or when the sun rises in the morning."
One tool wine growers use to shield buds from frost is pruning. When they
prune early (October/November), bud break arrives a few weeks earlier.
Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates delays pruning until December for delayed bud
break and added frost protection.
"The buds remain in their cottony, insulated world for a longer period of
time, and thus are less vulnerable to the cold temperatures of frost,"
Bedolla said.
James Caudill, (707) 525-6229
JCaudil@kjmail.com or
BigJim_Caudill@compuserve.com