Weather forecasters reported that a storm would roll through Sonoma County wine country last weekend. Needless to say, we were concerned — but we were also prepared. Working in vineyards where nature and nurture go hand in hand requires constant attention and adaptability. Thankfully, the storm broke up as it came inland, and the rainfall totals were MUCH less [...]
Posts by Dana
Vineyard Manager and part of the Jordan family since 1999. Knows where to find our birds and rabbits amid 1,500 acres of rolling hills.
Vineyard video: Sunday’s rain + wind machines
by Dana on September 20, 2010 in From the Vineyards
Video: Composting at our vineyard + DIY tips
by Dana on July 26, 2010 in From the Vineyards
Composting is an integral part of our farming practices as a sustainable winery. We began applying compost to our estate vineyards in 2004 and making our own compost pile on the property the following year (video tips below). A natural fertilizer, compost promotes vine and soil health. Healthy grapevines yield higher quality fruit desired to [...]
Grapevine flowering video: how spring weather has influenced bloom and fruit set
by Dana on July 1, 2010 in From the Vineyards
Wet, warm spring weather throughout April and May delayed flowering, or bloom, in our vineyards by two weeks. (While rainfall during spring was unseasonably high, overall rainfall levels for the year were ample and welcomed after several drought years.) When the warm weather finally arrived in early June, both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon clusters bloomed [...]
Rainy, warm spring affects shoot thinning: video
by Dana on June 10, 2010 in From the Vineyards
Watch the suckering process in this video to learn why shoot thinning is so important to making quality wine. The three most important vineyard management steps in the annual lifecycle of a grapevine are pruning in the winter, suckering (also known as shoot thinning) in the spring, and of course, harvest in the fall. The [...]
Pruning olive trees and reusing cuttings
by Dana on March 31, 2010 in From the Land
After the vineyard team finishes pruning grapevines each March, we move onto pruning 18 acres of olive trees planted on hillsides near Jordan’s two lakes. It takes just one minute to prune a grapevine, but an olive tree—due to its size and number of branches—requires 10 minutes of grooming to create proper shaping and light exposure, which ensures efficient picking [...]
Alexander Valley Winegrowers Barrel Tasting
by Dana on March 15, 2010 in Events
Each March, members of the Alexander Valley Winegrowers Association gather at the Alexander Valley Community Hall to share barrel samples of the previous vintage with fellow winemakers and grape growers. Our board members also pass the reins to newly elected leadership, trade groups speak about important issues to our wine community, the coveted pruning awards [...]
A week of rain: good news for Sonoma County vines, fish and residents
by Dana on January 21, 2010 in From the Land
Blue Heron at Jordan Estate’s lower lake Over the last six days, our region has been blanketed with rain. Because the grapevines are currently dormant — and Sonoma County has experienced drought for four consecutive years — we welcome this heavy winter rainfall. While we’re pleased by these last series of storms, we continue [...]
Winter in the vineyards: double-pruning
by Dana on January 14, 2010 in From the Vineyards
While grapevines are dormant during winter, they still require a great deal of care. Pruning is the first step in nurturing these plants for the following season, and this critical work is completed during January, February and March. Our Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines are cordon trained, and we leave only a two-bud spur per vine to grow grapes [...]
2009 olive harvest report with Dana Grande
by Dana on January 8, 2010 in From the Land
Our estate olives were harvested in November and in early December 2009. We recorded a quick video, which includes an olive harvest report and scenes from the last day of harvest in December. Small bins are used to harvest our olives in the Italian brucatura tradition, a method where our estate workers pull each olive from [...]
2009 vintage: growing season + grape harvest
by Dana on January 3, 2010 in From the Vineyards
Every growing season—and grape harvest—has its own distinct personality. Grapes can be precocious or take their own sweet time to mature. Harvests can range from hectic to calm and thrilling to frustrating. These grapes are our babies in many ways. It’s the birth of a new vintage we plan carefully and anticipate at the end [...]
