Flaherty Wines

We brought in the last of the Cabernet on Saturday. What a relief! (Sorry, Ed, but this harvest has been hard, thanks to my shoulder problem.) It was about three-quarters of a ton, whereas we were expecting a full ton. Our grower says that Cabernet yields are down everywhere, so we wound up with less Cab than we had planned. The low yields reflect not only the cool spring, but also the fact that the vines carried heavier yields last vintage, which often triggers a smaller crop the following year.

Our vineyard consultant was also up for the day, looking for ways to cultivate a more even development of the vines across the vineyard. We have been thinking about switching over to head pruning for aesthetic reasons, as the vineyard is essentially in our front yard. Our consultant thinks this winter is a good time to make the change, as we need to do some drastic pruning and reshaping anyway to promote vineyard health and balance. The vineyard is currently laid out on a curve, with one meter between the rows and a meter and a half between plants along the rows. This arrangement is not working well with the current training system, but it should be optimal for head training. We will also extend the vineyard up over a small rise in the garden and make some adjustments to the irrigation system.