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March 3, 2021 | Wine Geek Wednesday | Hannah Perry

Wine Geek Wednesday

Great wine is made at the vineyard. The Forbidden Desert Vineyard, our vineyard in Engle is one of the oldest in New Mexico, and the vines on the land are considered "old vines." This means that these vines have adapted to a changing environment for many years, which has made them durable and reliable every season. The lifecycle of a grapevine is something we get to witness every year, and it never gets old.

Winter

During this time of year, the vines are dormant. The vines utilize this time to hunker down for the cold months and they even have a built-in coping mechanism to survive the winter. The sugars that exist in the roots of the vines act as a natural antifreeze to the plant and ensures a healthy come-back in the Spring. One of the most crucial things we do at the end of Winter is prune the vines. This helps protect against over and underproduction of grape growth.

Spring

In early Spring, the vines start showing signs of life as they wake up from their Winter nap. Sap rises and bud begins to break! The buds are very delicate during this time, so we have to watch out for late freezes and hail storms. The shoots begin to grow upwards and the plant starts flowering. These flowers are self-pollinating-so they don't actually need bees!

Early Summer

The wood of the grapevine continues to ripen, turning brown and hardening. While the wood grows, and sugar levels rise, little clusters of grapes begin to appear! These clusters will soon become berry bunches, as they keep stretching out towards the warm sun.

Late Summer

The green berries start to change color and ripen! This is the most beautiful time of the year in the vineyard, as you can see a rainbow of green, yellow, pink and purple scattered throughout the leaves. We wait for them to reach the perfect ripeness, then work round the clock to pick the grapes in time. Fall finally comes to a close and the plant drops its leaves and prepares to go into its dormant phase in the Winter once again.