In the Vineyard: April 2010

Vine growth has continued at slow to moderate pace with the cooler than normal weather and fairly frequent storms over the last 30 days. Both of these are nothing for us growers to worry about as we have needed the rainfall and with a week of warm weather the vines will easily get caught up.

The shoots in varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir range from 3 to 12 inches of growth and we can see the developing clusters emerging and separating at this stage. Cluster numbers look to be average or slightly better and we will be able to get our first yield estimate in the coming weeks. Unknown to us now through bloom and berry set is how many berries each cluster will have and how large they will be. Bloom-time weather in the Santa Maria Valley is generally good for good berry set (little shatter) so that is unlikely a problem for us. With the above normal rains we have had thus far and because we have had a good amount already in April there is a good possibility for larger than average berry size this year.

Already we can talk fruit quality when we look at weather and the possibility for larger berries. Generally, we like small berries which increases the skin to juice ratio in the fruit and therefore increases the phenolics of the juice and wine potential. Time will tell.

I hope you enjoyed this walk “in the vineyard.” Please send any comments or questions to me and I will respond as quickly as possible.

Jim Stollberg manages vineyards for Maverick Farming Company in the Santa Maria Valley. He can be reached at (805)310-9322 or jim@maverickfarming.com.

In the Vineyard: March 2010

Our earliest varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are beginning to emerge with new growth from their dormancy in mid November. The buds are between bud swell and rosette stages depending on their age, variety, and elevation.

We have been controlling weeds around the base of the vines and have begun trapping gophers. Both of these pests can do damage to the vines and compete for water and nutrients.

The last few months have been great to recharge our soils with rain water and I expect to see even, moderate growth from the vines over the next few months. This time of year is great because we get to see for the first time what the 2010 vintage may offer. As growth continues and shoots get to be about six inches long we will get our first glimpse of the clusters. Small, green and indistinguishable to most onlookers, they will emerge from the expanding tissue.

I hope everyone enjoys this time of year driving by the vineyards of the Santa Maria Valley. Mornings with overhead sprinklers running to protect from frost damage and the long vine rows with new bright green tips of growth. Enjoy the daylight hours stretching into to evening with one of our delicious Chardonnay or Pinot Noirs and we’ll keep an eye on the new fruit “in the vineyard.”

Jim Stollberg manages vineyards for Maverick Farming Company in the Santa Maria Valley. He can be reached at (805)310-9322 or <jim@maverickfarming.com.

In the Vineyard: February 2010

Photo by Natalie Pranevsky

The New Year has brought more rain than we have seen in the last 3 years and we were definitely due. For the season we are at or above our average yearly total and more rain is on the way. The wet days have slowed our pruning progress, but with a good group of men and working through weekends, when dry, we have stayed on schedule.

Photo by Natalie Pranevsky

In the last week I have seen pruning wounds begin to “bleed” which is our first indication of the vines beginning sap flow and emerging from their winter dormancy. I expect our earliest varieties and fields to begin pushing buds by the end of the month.

The wet weather has made our tractor work, which includes weed control, cover crop mowing and mulching, slow, but again not more important than the needed rainfall.

Budbreak not only signifies the beginning of the 2010 vintage, but the likely need for frost control in most of our Santa Maria Valley vineyards. The large majority of vineyards use overhead sprinklers which provide a protective layer of water and ice around the tender new growth while others use wind machines to mix warmer upper level air with the colder ground level air.

This is a conflicting time of year for me; I am excited for the new growth and for producing great fruit, which will show great 2010 wines and conversely, the indefinite and frankly tiresome practice of being aroused from a good sleep and being out for long nights protecting our vines, looms in the coming months.

Nevertheless, grape growing is more than rewarding; it sustains our environment and brings joy and purpose to many in our Valley. I look forward to seeing everyone sometime this season “in the vineyard.”

NOTE: Jim will be hosting another free vineyard walk this May 8th at 1pm at Riverbench Vineyards. Please visit www.smvwines.com for more details.

Jim Stollberg manages vineyards for Maverick Farming Company in the Santa Maria Valley. He can be reached at (805)310-9322 or jim@maverickfarming.com.

Ken Volk with a Portrait of the Sierra Madre Vineyard

The Sierra Madre Vineyard is located in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County. Originally established in 1971, this unique property consistently produces some of the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California. It was the source of my first professional wine bottling—a Pinot Noir in 1983—at my first winery, Wild Horse. The Sierra Madre Vineyard was also the source of my first release of Pinot Noir at Kenneth Volk Vineyards in 2004. I have great respect and sentimental love for this particular vineyard.

During the last two decades, the vineyard has changed ownership several times and has been completely redeveloped and replanted. Despite these changes, the distinct character of wines produced from this property has remained very consistent. The interaction of natural forces, the vineyard’s location, and attentive wine grape growing allow for the production of highly expressive wines.

Located on the Santa Maria Mesa, the vineyard lies fifteen miles east of the Pacific Ocean and is the first high spot west of the Guadalupe Dunes. One of Santa Barbara’s transverse valleys, the Santa Maria Valley runs east-west, allowing unobstructed northwesterly winds from the Pacific Ocean to buffet the vineyard. With a truly maritime climate, the Sierra Madre Vineyard rarely experiences more than a 20° swing between the daytime high and morning low temperatures. An average daily high of 75° in August and September make this an extremely cool-climate site. The onshore winds that buffet the vineyard vary from gentle onshore airflow to gale force winds.

The soils of the Sierra Madre Vineyard were once part of the ocean shore that has been uplifted. The soils are extremely infertile, sandy and well drained. The combination of cool onshore winds and low vigor soils likely contributes to the uniquely attractive wines of the Sierra Madre Vineyard.

The Sierra Madre Vineyard fruit consistently has the highest content of malic acid of all the vineyards in the valley. High malic acid content in the fruit tends to produce wines that have supple, creamy mouth-feels as well as a texture and richness when malolatic fermentation has converted the tart malic acid into lactic acid. The effect of latic acid on a wine’s mouth feel is typically thought of more frequently as a white wine characteristic. However, when malic acid levels are as high as in the Sierra Madre Vineyard (typically 40% of the total acid content of the grape juice), the bacterial conversion of malic acid to lactic acid exerts a major impact on the mouth feel of Pinot Noir produced from this vineyard.

Another calling card of the Sierra Madre Vineyard is an inherent Asian spice nuance that can range from cinnamon, clove and sandalwood to five-spice. I find the wines produced from this vineyard to be elegant, earthy, and feminine, qualities that are especially intriguing in a glass of Pinot Noir.

[Ken Volk founded Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards but these days he's producing a wide range of varietals for his own label, Kenneth Volk Vineyards.]

This article has been provided by Color and Aroma, an online wine magazine.

In The Vineyard: January 2010

Green Fields After the Rain

We are in the middle of a much needed rain which is great for the vines. The last few years we have received well below normal winter rainfall and this has required us to irrigate more frequently during the growing season. Irrigation is a normal part of our viticultural operations here in the Santa Maria Valley, but irrigation water cannot replace the purity of rainfall. We began pruning on January 4th and the men have been doing a great job. The cane pruned Pinot Noir is complete and we are now working in the Chardonnay. With the constant storms over the last week we have not been doing much more than maintaining drainage ditches and repairing equipment, but drier weather is forecasted and the clippers will be in full swing soon.

-Jim Stollberg, Vineyard Manager, Riverbench

Jim Stollberg manages vineyards for Hampton and Maverick Farming Companies in the Santa Maria Valley. He can be reached at jim@maverickfarming.com.

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring…

Interview with Jim Stollberg, vineyard manager for Riverbench Winery and owner of Maverick Farming, a vineyard management company.

On The Wine Trail (OTWT): Hi Jim! We’re curious about how vineyards are preparing for the rain during the week of January 17, 2010. The weather experts are predicting an enormous amount of rain throughout the week. What are some concerns? What precautions are you taking?
JS: Preventing erosion in erosion prone slopes and soils is crucial. We are putting out sandbags and hay bales to direct and slow the flow of water. We are cleaning all drainages of loose vegetation and/or other trash or objects which could impede flow or block pipes.

OTWT: With a full week or more of rain, are you rushing to get any vineyard tasks done now?
JS: We are getting as much weed control done as possible because I don’t expect to be able to get a tractor into fields for around 2 weeks. Whether it is chemical spraying or cultivating weeds, they will basically get 2 weeks of growth without us being able to do too much.

OTWT: It seems like local farmers are always wanting more rain. Is there a downside to this much rain?

JS: The downside to a lot of rain over a short period is increased run-off rather than infiltration into the soil and filling of the soil around the roots and the groundwater bank. We have been so short of rain the last 2 years that I won’t complain. Any rain will help fill local reservoirs for both ag use throughout the year and also domestic use in cities.

OTWT: Thanks, Jim! Good luck with the preparations!

In the Vineyard: December 2009

It is the time of year when we look to the sky above to provide much needed rainfall and for the first time in three years December has been wet. Only half way through the month and we have twice as much rain as last year’s December. The refreshingly clean rain from above will replenish our soils and provide excellent growing medium for our vines in the next year. The water recharges our soils, livens our cover crops, which in turn produce natural nutrients to feed the vines.

Vineyard operations are slow in December, but our planning and preparation is in full swing for pruning. Pruning is the single most important thing we do every year. At this point we can adjust for the next year’s yield, vine vigor, and overall canopy growth. Every grower will tell you experienced pruning crews and knowledgeable management decisions at this time can set you ahead of others or cause you grief you may feel for years to come.

I hope the time of year brings everyone much joy and the opportunity to share one of our local wines, grape growers will be in full swing preparing next year’s vintage…”in the vineyard.”

Jim Stollberg manages vineyards for Hampton and Maverick Farming Companies in the Santa Maria Valley. He can be reached at (805)310-9322 or jim@maverickfarming.com.

In The Vineyard: November 2009

These winter months are when grape growers get to sit down and reflect on how to better improve their operations. I am engulfed with paperwork, planning, and budgeting for the 2010 season. Yes, cool, wet weather doesn’t mean farming stops, it means I have no excuse for a paper-stacked desk and I can get all of the office work done which I have been putting off since harvest began.

Reviewing the good and the bad from 2009 and meeting with my vineyard foreman to get their feelings and ideas on where we can improve on efficiency is where the 2010 vintage begins. I look at fertility options, where we can improve growth and where we may need to decrease growth to maximize both quantity and quality of grapes. I look at irrigation amounts, timing of applications and length of applications so that every precious drop of water applied has the maximum benefit to the vines. I take a look at the latest in machinery, materials, and viticulture philosophies and adjust where I can to make my operation as successful as possible.

Sitting down and learning about the wines which are being produced from my vines another fun operation this time of year. Discussing where the best fruit came from the vineyard and what may have been associated with that success is very important with my partnering winemakers. I will get muddy in the vineyard, the winemakers will be molding their wines, and we need everyone to keep raising their wine glasses to great Santa Maria Valley wines.

Jim Stollberg manages vineyards for Hampton and Maverick Farming Companies in the Santa Maria Valley. He can be reached at (805)310-9322 or jim@maverickfarming.com.

In The Vineyard: October 2009

October 15, 2009: The 2009 harvest season has been full of interesting weather changes. September began with record breaking heat and for many growers got harvest off to a feverish start. Prior to the heat, Pinot Noir grapes were steadily maturing and we saw mixed vine response to the heat. At some vineyards, sugar accumulation in the fruit increased rapidly while corresponding decreases in acid levels were not seen. This gave us growers and winemakers an important decision to make; can the sugar/acid levels come back into balance in the days following the heat spike or do we need to harvest before sugar levels rise beyond standard quality parameters?

Winemaker discussions I have had can be summarized with mixed results. Overall, the Pinot Noir quality looks to be good and depending on vineyard, there is potential for some outstanding wine lots now in barrel.

Chardonnay in the Santa Maria Valley coped with the heat better in most accounts than did the Pinot Noir. I have only heard exciting reports about Chardonnay wine quality and this is no surprise seeing and tasting the fruit as it left the vineyard. The Chardonnay vines were in a better condition during and following the heat, allowing growers to hang the fruit for an extended period. The increased hang time brought the fruit back into phenologic balance, and subsequently the wines are showing great character.

The recent October rains were much more of an overall benefit than detriment to us growers because of the recent drought years and in my opinion marked the virtual end to harvest. We do still have late whites and reds in the field, but the changing weather has put all remaining varieties on the harvest list.

This exciting harvest season “in the vineyard” will most surely result in some of our most impressive and anticipated wines in the bottle.

Jim Stollberg manages vineyards for Hampton and Maverick Farming Companies in the Santa Maria Valley. He can be reached at (805)310-9322 or jim@maverickfarming.com.