Veraison has begun
As soon as the red grapes start to change color, the vines shift more and more energy towards maturing their fruit. For us growers this date is a good indicator; it tells us when we will be able to start harvesting grapes just mature enough and not yet overripe.
We are expecting early ripeness though we will not beat any record. So far everything has gone perfectly well. Just a moment before the drought could have caused severe damage, some beautiful rain showers eased the situation.
This means a lot of work in the vineyards: The soil is covered in green. After each rain, vines find better growing condition - as do their competitors on the ground. In this case, vintners have to play their role as regulators. Green cover should protect soils from erosion and overheating.
However, during the ripening period competition should be moderate. Therefore it is better to keep the groundcover between the vineyard rows short to prevent them from encroaching on the fruiting zone.
