“If you’re not insured, you might as well give up, a wine grower stated bluntly.” The increased severity and occurrence of weather events (rain, wind, hail, drought, etc.) is a well-documented hallmark of anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change.
I’ve been experimenting with the usage of AI to generate images. I took motivation from a blog post of Jo Diaz, who wrote about her attempt to write a blog using AI. So far, it’s a work in progress…
Spring enlivens the soul. There is something magical about witnessing brown give way to green. Of the landscape awakening. Warmer and longer days. Breezes that don’t chill you to the bone. There is no truer expression of spring than grape vine bud break.
A few months ago I was reading the book “The Heat Will Kill You First” by Jeff Goodell, when the author described the experiences of a migrant vineyard worker who died of heat exhaustion, as an example of how excessive heat affects the mind and body.
Have you ever wondered how the climates of Colorado’s AVAs stack up with other well-known wine-growing regions in the U.S., if not the world? I have. Yes, you can talk with knowledgeable Colorado wine folks, read a few books, and dabble with general descriptions and illustrations online.
I have a Doctorate from the University of Hard Knocks. You read up on new subject matter and spend time learning from those more knowledgeable than you. But the wealth of information means little—oh sure, you can do well conversing about the topic at cocktail parties—till you are knocked around attempting new things yourself.
Fall was upon us, and with it the harvest. Summer hadn’t completely loosened its grip. Temps were mild but unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets originating in August still ruled the roost. While I harvested a small amount of my Pinot Noir in September, the Riesling and the valley’s bounty was yet to come. And come it did.
The month of August ended with a Yellow Jacket apocalypse but September began with hope. The vines were doing great and summer’s heat had waned. Was harvest on the horizon? Did the viticultural gods still have a few tricks to play? Answers to both were not far off.
Unbeknownst to me as August broke, metaphoric storm clouds were gathering. In that blissful state of ignorance, we left July’s Chronicle questioning whether veraison (the last stage of grape ripening when the berries turn color) was in play for the Pinot Noir.
There aren’t many American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) with wine events providing the level of intimacy, information, and scenery available as the West Elks Wine Trail. Sponsored by the West Elks AVA, the opportunity to visit up to 10 wineries providing a wide breadth of offerings over a three-day weekend couldn’t be passed up.
Vineyard tending took a few days off in early July due to a long Independence Day weekend and family visits. Covered in June’s Chronicles, the previous month was filled with keeping vines pruned and growing vertically, and remaining abreast of insects and critters determined to ruin my day.
Not unlike two weeks in May when away from the vineyard due to grandparenting duties, we were also away the first three weeks of June visiting family in New England, and tending to out-of-town needs. Leaving my three-year-old tilled and pruned vineyard we came back to overgrown vines with weeds taking over.
