March

It's hard to believe it's March already, but today certainly looks like spring. Grey, rainy, but in the 40s, rather than the uber-cold we've seen all winter.

What does March look like at the winery?

We began pruning the grape vines in January. It looks like we'll be finished pruning them sometime next week and will move on to the apple trees. It's probably the earliest we've ever been finished. It's nice to actually be done on time for once!

It's the middle of maple syruping season, and that means Sugar Snow. Recently Holly sweetened the 2008 vintage with syrup from Snow's Sugar Bush in Mason. We'll be bottling the 2008 vintage a week from Sunday and will release the following Sunday, March 22. Soon the Moore family will show up with sap to begin the 2009 vintage.

Almost every day I add another event to the calendar for April and early May. With the designation of "Michigan Wine Month" in April, more and more events are being scheduled around the state. Those 6 weeks or so look like they'll be really busy again this year!

The tasting room is relatively quiet, but we're seeing business remain steady. The only really quiet times are during the week. Since we close on Tuesdays and Wednesday in January, February, and March, we've been trying to catch up with some of the tasks that fell through the cracks during busier times. For example, for the next two weeks we'll be scrubbing the floors and revarnishing them. Of course, we're never able to get to more than a fraction of the things we want to do...

The Sandhill Cranes are back from their winter trip to Florida. Soon they'll be nesting and rearing a new batch of babies.

I Was Wrong... (It Wasn't Really Spring)

Take a look at the post below. Yep, I was wrong.

As much as it really felt like we were past the threat of frost.... we weren't. We've had 3 or 4 frosts since then. Of course, I planted most of my tomatoes. I sheltered them on nights when we had a frost warning. Unfortunately, we weren't always warned and I lost quite a few from unannounced spotty frost. So now I've filled in the holes where I lost plants and the varieties are completely mixed up...

The grapes held up through all of the frosts until the most recent one (last week). That frost hit several of the grape varieties pretty hard... as you can see. We'll have to see how well they come back. The only good news it that it hit varieties that we don't count on -- most of the ones in the vineyard area east of the tasting room are old hobbyist varieties planted by my dad long before we were a commercial winery.

Ok, it's now June. Are we finally safe?

Ah, the pleasures of agriculture.

It's Really, Truly Spring (knock on wood)

I tend to be a bit of realist (some might say pessimist) about Michigan winters. As a home gardener, I've had my heart broken numerous times. I think it's spring.... then winter reappears.

But... dare I say it? ... I think spring has finally come.

We had a lovely spell of warm weather early in April, following by some cooler temperatures. That's good -- you don't want the spring blossoms to open and fall too quickly. But, of course, you don't want the temperatures to be too cool!

It's been a beautiful spring.

Right now, the little clusters of grapes are popping out. Soon the vineyards will be green.

The final question remains.... do I dare plant my tomatoes at home? Is it really, truly spring?