This time of year much of our conversation revolves around the milestones of the growing season, what we often refer to as phenological dates. We’ve talked about one of them already; bud break. If you follow Oregon wineries on social media, you’ve no doubt already seen that we are now excitedly in the throes of bloom or flowering which typically occurs about 4 to 6 weeks later. The flower clusters, or inflorescence are hermaphroditic and do not require pollinators. About half these flowers will set and become fruit. It’s a vulnerable time in the life of a grape and several factors can determine how much fruit we have to work with. As you might imagine, frost is not our friend during this time and while it is not usually a big factor in the Willamette Valley, it is still a risk. Wind, rain, temperature, and lack of water or nutrients can also play a role. While it is a time of great optimism and anticipation in the valley, it is a cautious optimism. Once fruit is set we’ll have a better sense of how the vintage is shaping up. Until then we both celebrate and bite our nails a bit. More later…