Everything's so green when Chianti's grapevines start to bud…

Chianti's Grapevine

In a recent blog post, I quickly chatted about the different ways we prune vines – what they call 'training methods'. By mid-February, this work in the vineyard was already super busy. And now, from early to mid-April, as the first visitors slowly make their way back to Tuscany and the gentle sunbeams warm the slopes of Conca d'Oro, the sap rushes into the grapevines and they start to sprout. Then, a fresh, vibrant green veil spreads over the hills and slopes. The 2018 wine year has begun!If you want to get really specific, the foundation for the sprouting – depending on the weather, of course – is actually laid a bit earlier. That's when, in March, the sap rushes into the pruned grapevines. For winemakers, this is the most exciting part of the wine year – besides the harvest, of course. Because when the 'eyes' – those are the spots where a plant can grow side shoots – start to sprout, and when the first tiny, delicate leaves appear, a very tricky time begins for the grapevines.

In spring, even in Tuscany, it can happen that temperatures dip below freezing at night, putting those first delicate shoots at risk from frost. To be super accurate, it's not just the frost itself that harms the little leaves. It's actually when ice meets sun: if the sun hits the still-frozen leaves in the morning, the ice crystals break apart, and those sensitive, tender leaves break right along with them. That's why, when the weather's like this, you'll often spot what they call 'fog fires' in the vineyards during the morning. The smoke from these fires simply stops the sun from warming the frozen leaves too fast, because the sun's rays can only get through the fog partially, not at full strength, to the vines. So, those fires you see around actually have nothing to do with keeping the plants warm!

The 2018 Wine Year – everything's looking great!

Especially in 2017, many parts of Chianti saw widespread frost damage, which meant some producers lost up to 30% of their harvest right at the start of the year. Basically, you could say that the first few weeks after the buds appear really set the tone for the whole growing season and decide if it'll be a good or bad wine year. But, the higher up a vineyard is, the later the buds usually come out, which means less chance of frost damage. This is great news for places like Panzano and Monti in Chianti, as their vineyards tend to be a bit higher. So, we're excited to see how the 'tricky' part of the cold season plays out this wine year. So far, everything seems to be going smoothly – all good! We're keeping our fingers crossed.