Vineyard Improvements:
Last Tuesday afternoon we walked the vineyard with Amigo Bob Cantisano. This marks the second year of our five year plan of vineyard improvements.
Our first generation consulted with Amigo Bob 35 years ago and now it is our turn. Amigo Bob is one of the most widely experienced and influential figures in organic farming. He is an organic farming advisor, the founder of Ecological Farming Conference (EcoFarm). EcoFarm has been the largest sustainable agriculture conference for 36 years. Amigo Bob is also one of the founders of C.C.O.F. (California Certified Organic Farmers). All of this and he lives right here in Nevada County!
We began our five year plan two years ago as we began replacing 35 year old fencing. After this winter we will have only one more section of fencing to replace. We have wanted to add another varietal. We have plans to pull out block 5 vines (Merlot). In doing so, it allows us to concentrate on the overall health of this section of the vineyard. We will be tilling the soil and planting a cover crop this fall to feed the soil. This was confirmed by Amigo Bob as the best strategy. In the Spring of 2017 this 3/4 acre section of our vineyard will be ready for a replant of Sauvignon Blanc vines.