Bad Bug: Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhyncus sulcatus)

Early on in our career as farmers, we saw a kind of damage to our grapevines that we thought was due to deer. The tops of the young, growing vines would be cleanly chomped off. Deer! We engaged our hunter to see if he could rid the vineyard of this nuisance. As time went on, we learned that the type of damage that we were seeing was not due to deer, but due to a much, much smaller offender, the Black Vine Weevil (Otiorhyncus sulcatus). This bug is so tiny, not much larger than 1/2-inch but it can do serious damage to buds, flowers, foliage and cluster rachis.
I consulted University of California IPM Site, to learn more about this little pest.
The adults emerge from the soil in early April through May. About 2 to 3 weeks after they emerge, females begin laying eggs and continue for 6 to 8 weeks. Eggs hatch into white grubs (larvae) that feed on roots. Larvae feed for about 10 months before pupating in the soil during late winter.

This weevil has a long and broad snout, that projects from the front of the head. The snout is the offending appendage since this is what the weevil uses to pierce vine parts when it is feeding. The telltale sign that the damage is done by beetles (and not deer) is the presence of small holes in the growing shoot. The small holes become the weak point and snap off. It is really unfortunate if this damage appears on what should be next year's cane!

Cool-Climate Wine Versus Warm-Climate Wine

Recently, I read a really interesting article from Wine Enthusiast called The Real Difference Between Cool-Climate and Warm-Climate Wine. Mother Nature plays a big role in the vineyard and that translates into the type of wine that can be made. This article explains the flavor differences between a wine made in a cool-climate versus a wine made in a warm-climate.
Wine grapes grow best in the northern and southern hemispheres between 30° – 50° latitude. So what defines a cool-climate wine? Cool climate is also a function of elevation. Vineyards perched in the mountains enjoy cooler temperatures than fruit on the valley floor. Other factors can include the amount of rainfall, humidity, and cooling or warming forces like cloud cover and wind patterns. These climatic differences contribute to the overall flavor profile of a wine.

Cool Climate Wine Attributes	Warm Climate Wine Attributes
Grapes do not ripen as quickly	Grapes ripen faster
Lower natural sugars	Accumulates more sugars, can lead to higher alcohol content
Higher acidity	Can be a struggle to maintain acidity in a wine
Tart fruits flavors like cranberry, raspberry, sour cherry and green apple are common	Darker fruit flavors often dominate like plums, blueberries, blackberries, and these wines can even exhibit chocolate notes.
Wines may be described as elegant, nuanced and fresh	Wines may struggle to taste fresh, leading to stewed, shapeless or flabby flavors

White grapes suited for cool-climates include: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewürtztraminer. Red grapes suited for cool-climates include Pinot Noir and Zweigelt. While in warm climates, Zinfandel, Grenache and Shiraz attain their full expression. Cab Sauv from cool-climate Bordeaux often shows herbal, savory and gravely mineral character with drier tannins while in Napa Valley, it loses the herbal notes, also known as pyrazines, and takes on ripe blackberry fruit with voluptuous softer tannins. Knowing this, you can surprise your friends during a wine tasting by correctly stating whether the wine you are drinking is from a cool or warm-climate and try to pinpoint the locale that your wine came from.
References:
1. Lauren Mowery, The Real Difference Between Cool-Climate and Warm-Climate Wine, Wine Enthusiast, May 1, 2018.

Vine Cycle and Vineyard Activities

I've already used the following illustration in a blog I wrote called Vine Growth where I summarize when the various parts of the grapevine are growing. But, it is still a very good reference to have about all of the activities that the grape vine is undergoing once budbreak occurs.
This illustration is from Ronald Jackson's Wine Science: Principles and Applications, and shows the growth rate of various organs of ‘Colombar’ grapevines grown in South Africa throughout the season.¹

One of the things that can be gleaned from this illustration is that it takes about 200 days from budbreak to harvest. This is a guideline.
From another one of my favorite online articles, Ed Hellman's Grapevine Structure and Function, I extracted this timeline and kept information about our varieties beginning with our very first very small harvest of Chenin Blanc in 2015.

One thing that can be gleaned by keeping a log like that shown above is the number of days from budbreak to harvest. We now have six data points!

Varietal	Budbreak	Harvest	Number of Days
Chenin Blanc	May 8, 2015	September 22, 2015	137
Chenin Blanc	April 26, 2016	September 26, 2016	156
Auxerrois	April 30, 2017	September 21, 2017	144
Chenin Blanc	April 30, 2017	October 7, 2017	160
Chardonnay	April 30, 2017	September 23, 2017	146

Since the data points above are for very young plants, they serve only as a rough guideline. This year, we hope to have a better understanding of how to ripen a vineyard that is at 85% replanted capacity, with vines in their fourth leaf. We're hoping for Mother Nature's full cooperation!
References:
1. Jackson, Ronald S., Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Third Edition, Elsevier, Academic Press, 2008, pg. 109.
2. Ed Hellman, Grapevine Structure and Function.

2010 Alpha Estate Xinomavro

This 2010 Alpha Estate Xinomavro is a red wine made in Greece. It is already 8 years old and the good thing about it is that you can purchase this wine for under $20.00! The wine reminded me of drinking Barbera. I thought it had a good acidity and possessed mellow tannins.
While we had this wine with chicken parmesan on a bed of spaghetti, it will go well with any meal with red sauce. It will also stand up nicely to a good steak as well as a nice burger.
From the label on the back of the bottle, I learned that Alpha Estate is located in the northwest part of Greece, in Macedonia.

The Xinomavro is called the noblest red varietal of northern Greece. Xinomavro can be translated into "acid black", a reference to the grape's acidity. Alpha Estate is located on the Amyndeon plateau, and is part of the Amyndeon viticulture zone.² The source of this Xinomavro is the Hedgehog Vineyards located at an altitude of 690 meters facing Petron Lake and Voras Mountain.
On the Alpha Estate Website, they include the vinification and aging methods: Destemming, no crushing, cold soak - skin contact, alcoholic fermentation at gradual increasing temperatures, maintenance of wine "sur lies" for eight months with regular stirring. Twelve months in French oak barrel medium grain, white toasting and twelve months in the bottle.
I think this wine could be a great summer addition to BBQs and hamburger cuisine! I am so looking forward to warmer weather!
References:
1. The Greek Grape.
2. Alpha Estate.