Artesa Vineyards & Winery’s Grapevine Bloom Update!

Following up on our last Artesa Vineyards & Winery’s blog report with Mark Beringer, we have heard rumors that grapevines are slowly starting to bloom across the Napa Valley. Due to the fact that Artesa Vineyards & Winery is in the cooler Carneros appellation, we have not experienced any vines blooming quite yet, though they are very close indeed! It has been an absolute blessing to us that we’re in the cooler region, due to all the rain Napa Valley has been experiencing over the past two weeks. This weather pattern could have been devastating to the delicate vines, had they already bloomed. With the forecast predicting much warmer weather and sunny skies over the next few days and weeks, we’re expecting things to change fast and furious, any day now. Keep checking back for latest updates and photographs as we post them!

A Trip to the Vineyards with Mark Beringer

Early on a warm May morning, our Head Winemaker, Mark Beringer and I took a trip through Artesa Vineyards & Winery’s 150 acres Carneros Estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Vineyards. I must say this was a beautiful way to spend a Monday morning out of the office, high up in the rolling hills of the Carneros appellation, overlooking San Pablo Bay with the panoramic views of the Napa Valley and the San Francisco skyline way in the distance. Mark closely studies our vineyards almost daily, keeping an eye on the growth pattern of our grapevines. Though it’s only been about a month since budding began, with the warmer weather starting to arrive, the vines have fully awoken and are starting to kick into high gear. Not only are there large green leaves growing, but there are clusters of grape buds showing up all over the vineyard. Mark mentioned that the vines are right on track for this time of year and they are looking very healthy, strong and full of vibrant life. Over the next two weeks we expect to witness the vines blooming, which can last for a matter of days or a couple of weeks, depending on how kind the weather is during this sensitive period. The vine blooms are actually hard to see unless you are standing pretty close to the vine itself and, unless you’re paying attention, these blooms can come and go very quickly as the vines move rapidly forward though their yearly growing cycle.