This spring we added 3.75 acres of new vines on the western side of the vineyard.  Adding new vines is always risky.  First, there are so many variables when deciding what and how to plant.  Make the right decisions on the right soil and the vines will produce quality fruit for years to come.  A few wrong choices and you can wind up with a vineyard that costs more to farm than the fruit is worth.

We needed to decide which clones to plant (we went with 114, 828 and 777) and which rootstocks (we selected SO4, 101-14 and RG depending on clone and soil) and vine spacing (we went 4x7 - and 3x7 on the acre of 777/RG).

We decided to use grow tubes to increase the growing season - they act like a mini-greenhouses.  We saw this effect as the new vines had bud break and bloom nearly a month ahead of the established vines.  Grow tubes also protect the vines from the tractor and critters and preserve moisture by reducing transpiration (primarily by protecting the vines from wind).  We went with 15" shorty tubes to avoid risk of cooking the vines during summer.  This turned out to be prescient, as we saw several days with temps in excess of 100 degrees.

For the most part, I've been amazed at how well the vines have endured our dry hot summer.  I've hand-watered a couple of vines that were in particularly hot spots or more granular soil, but almost all the vines have managed to remain perky and green without any special assistance.  Some of the credit goes to the deep soil ripping prior to planting and also the quality plants from Duarte Nursery.

While it is still way too soon to determine if the new vines will be producers of reserve quality fruit or be a white elephant, it is exciting and rewarding to watch them develop.  We're all excited to make a barrel or two from the 2011 crop.