Aug 31, 2018 | In the Vineyard
The 2018 harvest is still more than a month away here at Dyer Vineyard on Diamond Mountain. Even as we finish the green drop and color thinning the St Helena Star and the Napa Valley Register have begun to publish their weekly reports from all 13 AVAs and I’m...
Aug 24, 2018 | In the Vineyard
When we planted Dyer Vineyard 25 years ago, the hot topics were row direction, vine spacing, varieties, clones, and rootstock. Since then we’ve overseen the vineyard transition from head trained to cordon. We’ve reduced the varieties from all 5 Bordeaux varieties to...
Oct 15, 2017 | In the Vineyard
Timing is everything! We harvested our vineyard on Friday October 6th. Picking started at 4:00am using headlamps, with a full moon overhead. Having the assistance of the Harvest Moon was certainly appropriate. Grapes were at the winery by 10am and through the...
Aug 25, 2017 | In the Vineyard
We’re closing in on Harvest 2017 and so far it’s been a bit of a roller coaster- wet winter, normal budbreak, cool spring and a very hot summer. As I write, it’s 105 degrees in the vineyard and the rest of the week is shaping up to be a series of...
Jul 30, 2017 | In the Vineyard
In Napa Valley the 2014 vintage was exceptional. Bud break was early as a result of the warm winter and the growing season was quite long. Rain in March and April came just in time to provide the water needed for a smooth growing season. The vintage was relatively...
Jul 28, 2017 | In the Vineyard
Most mornings this time of year find me in my Napa Valley vineyard – nursing young replanted vines, working on the trellis, and digging out wild blackberries and thistles that are the scourge of the vineyard – there’s lots to do and it’s got to be...