Grapes Reaching Veraison

The tip off that the white varietal grapes are reaching or at veraison is that the hard, green grape bunches will now feel soft to the touch. Now is the time for checking the Brix on all of our grapes. Our Auxerrois was the first to reach veraison, on August 16th with a Brix level of 9. The only other data point that we have for Auxerrois came from last year when veraison was around August 12th with a Brix level of 10. We do feel that the vineyard is about a week behind previous years.
The lag is most likely related to the many rain events that we have had this summer and temperatures that have not reached the heat that we experienced in previous years. We have heard that vineyards in Pennsylvania also appear to be somewhat behind in reaching veraison.
In keeping with my husband's wishes that I take data points for our three varieties, I have been tracking budbreak, bloom and now veraison for the varieties that are producing grapes this year. It is interesting that while the Chardonnay blooms first, the Auxerrois second, and the Chenin Blanc last, the Auxerrois seems to reach veraison before the Chardonnay.

We have been bagging and now netting our Auxerrois and Chardonnay so that the birds can resist the temptation of eating ripe grapes and also so that we can have a harvest. The next variety to be netted will be the Chenin Blanc and since the Brix is only now reaching about 9, we may have a few days before the birds discover the delectable morsels before their eyes. No time to waste!