July is the Busiest Month

Every year, we know what to expect but every year, we find outselves at this point. July! This is especially true for this July as we have had periods of rain punctuated with some sunshine. We have never seen the canopy look so lush and tall! The good news is that the leaves at the top of the canopy are large, green, are great photosynthetic factories for sugar making and are relatively resistant to fungal disease. The bad news is that the canopy will need to be hedged soon before the vines really get out of control.

The grapes of the different varieties that we grow are putting on some weight. This is the first growth spurt.

Variety	Photo
Auxerrois
Chenin Blanc
Chardonnay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Barbera

It is interesting to compare these photos with the photos of the grapes taken about 2 weeks ago when I blogged about Vintage 2021: Vineyard is at Berry Formation. We have about a month to go before the first of our varieties, the Auxerrois enters the next phase of the Modified Eicchorn-Lorenz stage of berry ripening.
We have some work to do!

2018 Stones and Bones

A few weeks ago, we had some friends over for dinner and they brought over this 2018 Stones and Bones wine made in Portugal. We had already planned what wines we would drink for dinner on that evening, so we saved their gift until last night.
I was unfamiliar with this wine but when we had it with the pizza from our local pizzaria, Woodfellas, it was a very good pairing.
My husband rattled off from the back label that it was made with terrific Touriga Nacional, sensual Syrah, spicy Tinta Roriz, and intense Alicante Bouschet.
The wine was very smooth, easy to drink and had rich flavors of dark cherries, plums and a hint of cedar.
This morning, I thought I would do a little investigating and learned that this is a wine from Lisboa in Southern Portugal. Also, the name, Stones and Bones comes from the fact that the grapes are grown on a landscape littered with ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils! The winemaker, Diogo Sepúlveda, worked in Pomerol, then in the Barossa with heirloom Shiraz vines.
I also learned that the wine can be purchased for under $10.00! This is a terrific value!
References:
1. Laithwaites, 2018 Stones and Bones.

Lacewings are Beneficial Insects

Yesterday, my husband and I were working in the Chenin Blanc, shoot tucking, removing excess shoots and cleaning the area around the graft union. The grapes are at fruitset and they look really good. It is time for leaf pulling.

While we were working in the Chenin Blanc, I found these cuties:

We stopped what we were doing to take photos. We went home to see what they were and it turns out to be lacewing eggs. More importantly, lacewings are beneficial insects. I learned a lot from the Ohio State University Extension article, Ohio’s Natural Enemies: Lacewings. For example, because these eggs were on a stalk they are eggs of the green lacewing and not the brown lacewing.

• green lacewings (Family Chrysopidae)
• lacewings are considered beneficial insects due to their voracious appetite for insect pests
• lacewings undergo complete metamorphosis with egg, larval, pupal and adult stages
• all lacewing larvae are predators and are important contributors to biological control
• green lacewing larvae have a reputation as voracious aphid predators, and are often referred to as “aphid lions”
• while lacewing larvae do feed on aphids, they are generalist predators and also feed on a wide range of soft-bodied insect pests including mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, and insect eggs
• adults feed on pollen, nectar or honeydew—the sweet, carbohydrate-rich excrement of sap-feeding aphids
• lacewing eggs, larvae and adults are available commercially for purchase

I put together the life cycle of the green lacewing from the two references cited below:

We learned that lacewings are beneficial insects and are happy to have them in the vineyard. While working in the vineyard these days is not for the faint-hearted (hot, humid, overall yucky), it's little treasures like these that make work in the vineyard very interesting and educational.
References:
1. Mary Griffith, Ohio State University Extension and Mary M. Gardiner, Department of Entomology, Ohio State University Extension, Ohio’s Natural Enemies: Lacewings.
2. Kellen, Pest Wiki, Lacewing – Knowing More About the Lacewing Life Stages, June 29, 2018.

Vintage 2021: Vineyard is at Berry Formation

Yesterday, we snuck in a bit of work at the vineyard before the rains came around 3:30 p.m. At the end of the morning work period, I had a chance to take a few photos of the various varieties that we are growing and where they are with respect to berry formation.

Variety	Photo
Auxerrois
Chenin Blanc
Chardonnay
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Barbera

These photos show that the Chardonnay, which bloomed first is farther along than the other varieties. The Cabernet Sauvignon which was last to flower and set fruit is still showing vestiges of the flower parts. We are in for some rain this July 4th weekend which should help further berry growth.
References:
1. Fritz Westover, Grapevine Phenology Revisited, Wines&Vines, March 2018.