Morning Ya'll,
Well, things in the vineyard continue to roll on. Wojtek and the guys have been busy tending the quickly growing vineyard. Right now we are in 'bloom' in the vineyard. Bloom is when the newly formed inflorescence's begin to open up. The photos show the closed inflorescence and the following photo depicts the almost fully bloomed cluster. People ask if we require bees to help pollinate? Well, grapes are a self-pollinating so we do not require the assistance of bees. Although, the bloomed flowers do not require insect pollinators they produce a very subtle and distinct aroma. In fact it smells faintly reminiscent of suntan lotion. I honestly do not fully understand why if grapes do not require pollinators do they still create an attractive aroma? It would seem an unnecessary action. If you get a chance take a walk into the vineyard and give these a sniff!
Well, things in the vineyard continue to roll on. Wojtek and the guys have been busy tending the quickly growing vineyard. Right now we are in 'bloom' in the vineyard. Bloom is when the newly formed inflorescence's begin to open up. The photos show the closed inflorescence and the following photo depicts the almost fully bloomed cluster. People ask if we require bees to help pollinate? Well, grapes are a self-pollinating so we do not require the assistance of bees. Although, the bloomed flowers do not require insect pollinators they produce a very subtle and distinct aroma. In fact it smells faintly reminiscent of suntan lotion. I honestly do not fully understand why if grapes do not require pollinators do they still create an attractive aroma? It would seem an unnecessary action. If you get a chance take a walk into the vineyard and give these a sniff!
Pre- Bloom 
Bloom 
Bloom 
In addition to bloom going on in the vineyard the guys continue to shoot thin. Once again the vine will produce more growth than is ideal for premium wine production. So we have to go out and shoot thin. Shoot thinning as we call it is when we select shoots to be removed from the vine. If you look below you will see the photo of a row prior to shoot thinning and a photo after shoot thinning. You will notice all of the thinned shoots on the ground. Also, you will see the photo of a shoot thinned vine. In addition to reducing yield, shoot thinning allows increased sun penetration, better air flow for drying out the canopy, and better coverage when we spray. This operation can be slow and tedious but it will not only help ensure a quality crop, but also a healthy crop.
Pre Thinning
Post Thinning 
Pre Thinning
Post Thinning 
The wild weather over the past week took its toll one of our trees. We are not sure if it was a lightning strike or the strong winds that took down the tree, but none-the-less no one was hurt.
Lastly, I have been attending various tastings as of late. Debbie and I participated in a tasting for Boulevard Magazine at the De Seversky Center in Old Westbury. This was a great event and it is good to see so many people that are familiar with Martha Clara. On Saturday night Ben and I participated in a tasting for Canvas Magazine at a gallery in Huntington. The event went very well, however at the end of the event I was attacked by several cougar's! (Cougar - think Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore) The Cougarus americanis is a persistent species. This particular group of cougar's surrounded me and were very persistent in myself joining them for a post-party cocktail. I graciously declined and escaped unscathed with the help of some other event attendees. It was a close call none-the-less! In any event that's the word on the farm. As always please feel free to ask any questions! Talk with ya'll soon!
Cheers,
Juan.
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