Last Sunday we took a break from tending vines and closed the gate so no one could come down the lane. The talented & bubbly Jill Promoli had arrived to shoot family photos. It’s something we always wanted to do and never seemed to find the time. At one point we contemplated using “Trois Soeurs” […]
Against all common sense, we’ve decided to plant more grape vines! So right now, we’re soaking the roots of 3000 new Cabernet Franc and Pinot Gris vines in water. James Wiens came from Niagara this week with his big planting machine to put ’em in the ground, but the rains came and the clay soil
It’s not a weekend out at the vineyard without something breaking. This weekend I was happily weeding my grapes with this piece of equipment, an Ostraticky grape hoe. Driving up and down the rows with the hoe is mind-numbingly slow: there are 68 rows and it takes 5 minutes a row. After a few hours
Ostraticky Grape Hoe Read More »
It’s been the coldest Winter since we started this venture five years ago. Any canes that remain above ground are certainly dead from the cold. We’ll remove everything exposed above ground when we start pruning in a few weeks, and then unbury the protected canes. Yahoo… we’re looking forward to getting started for another season!
Waiting for Winter’s End Read More »
“It’s minus ten Celsius. Sure, the ground is frozen, but it won’t hurt to try burying the vines. It might work –right? With the tractor reverse gear repaired, I headed out to the field one fine Saturday to attempt hilling up for the second time. It seemed to go well, although the hard soil made the tractor struggle
Hard Earth and Hilling Up Read More »
Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home! This year our vineyards were invaded by Multicoloured Asian Lady Bugs, or MALB. You may know that at crush time the odd insect or two can get crushed along with the grapes. We like to think that adds a bit of complexity. Seriously though, the wine is so
A critical phase of the wine making process at Broken Stone. At harvest this year we dumped a few lugs of grapes into wading pool and did a ceremonial grape stomp. The cool clusters felt wonderful on tired feet. Followed by a foot bath in warm water…luxury. You just can’t get this sort of spa
Stomping the grapes Read More »
We have every reason to be grateful this year; graced with a bountiful Harvest and healthy, happy children. Cheers!
A Pinot Thanksgiving Read More »
Veraison. Just a trickle now, soon a flood of colour will wash through the vineyard, painting the berries purple and gold. Our vines will stop their frantic vegetative growth. Shoots will turn from green to copper. Grapes will soften and sweeten. Hints of Harvest.