Our typically cold winter weather was somewhat late this year, with the first frosts only seen during week 23. Vines require a certain number of cold or chill units to achieve successful winter dormancy which is crucial for healthy spring growth. Our cold unit counts for the winter have been satisfactory to date and have been higher than during the previous two seasons.
Our pruning process started a few weeks later than usual and the first dormancy breaking agents have already been applied. Currently we are expecting the forthcoming harvest to be later than the usual season timing, and once the grapes have finished flowering, it will be easier to determine harvest timing.
