How did the January Winter Storms effect the Vineyards?

In January, California was hit by 9 atmospheric rivers, bomb cyclones and massive amounts of rain that resulted in 32 trillion gallons of water hitting California. What does all this rain and flooding do to the vineyards?

We asked our Assistant Winemaker, Casey Byrne for the scoop.

“Fortunately the roots of vines run deep and even the vines in our younger vineyards have a well-established foothold and are not in danger of being washed away. We are very grateful to have all of this moisture to refill reservoirs and help with the impact of the decade-long drought.”

“All of the rain does provide a major logistical challenge for the vineyard crews. Some areas will only be accessible by foot, and everyone is going to have muddy boots. Additionally all of this rain has narrowed the window of time for all of the winter vineyard work to get done.”

“We did not have any damage to any of the vineyards where we source fruit, and that is the main concern of the storm.”

“There are certainly many more things to be optimistic about going forward. Re-filling ponds, lakes and reservoir is critical for all agriculture. Looking down the line we expect this moisture to translate to more intense vigor and canopy development. This is going to mean canopy management will be especially important this year, especially at sites that are already more vigorous. But in general this is great news. A full canopy provides great protection from heat and sun damage in the coming warmer months.”