The vintner's year – February

In the vineyard

Finally, after several years of mild winters, we have had a normal February. It has been consistently cold, keeping buds tight and winegrowers relaxed. For most of the last decade we have experienced earlier-than-normal bud break that compresses the dormant pruning season, leads to greater risk of damaging spring frosts, and can ultimately result in early harvest dates.

We used to consider an early harvest to be positive, but super-precocious harvesting can result in wines with high alcohol and flabby acidities...