Seasons

On September 1st, I awoke on the vineyard to a familiar and comforting sight.

Not purple grape clusters or the hum of tractors, but the vision that signifies harvest is on the horizon more than anything.

Fog striping up the Valley.

Every clear morning since September 1st, as I run, walk, or ride through the vineyard early in the mornings, the lower elevations of the Northern Willamette lie draped in fog. The vision I am gifted is a backlit Mt. Hood, with a welcome mat of fog lying at its doorstep, signifying that we are about to unwrap Mother Nature’s annual gift.

On a more technical level, the fog indicates a shift from rapidly rising morning heat and summertime conditions to cool and crisp early temperatures and a more gradual rise to the day’s highs. We love to see this change in weather because it is desirable to have gradual final sugar & acid development (each moving in their respective directions) to yield balanced wines.

2008 was the perfect example of cool mornings and moderate days resulting in superb wines from this region, and our fingers are crossed for a repeat performance.