Veraison has started

[wood1954]

I feel this is a time to celebrate. The grapes are more disease resistant now and the color is a sign of a good harvest. Bud break, flowering, veraison and harvest should all have a festival to celebrate the life cycle of the vine. It’s a bit humid today.

 

[ChuckD]

We have had that fog every morning this week. None of my grapes have started varaison yet. I only have fruit on the Marquette and two Brianna

 

[Chuck-crisler]

My Marquette, Frontenac and Marechal Foch have started turning. I just took a break from putting up bird netting due to a thunderstorm. It has been a very dry, hot and humid summer.

 

[wood1954]

I’ve had a very wet hot and humid summer. Lots of color on the vines now.

 

[ChuckD]

I started seeing color three days ago.

When do you start netting the vines?

 

[GSMChris]

I had a little bit here and there last week but it’s about 1/3 now. A couple of Syrah pics

 

[wood1954]

I started seeing color three days ago.
View attachment 114613
When do you start netting the vines?

That’s one thing I don’t have to worry about. Are you in an area that has lots of birds due to farm fields? If not you can probably use a couple fake owls.

 

[ChuckD]

there are huge flocks of blackbirds in the marsh on one side and feeding in the oats on the other! On the plus side I have seen large flocks of tree swallows feeding on JB’s in the vineyard too.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Tasted Itasca today, it is tempting to pick it with a nice crisp flavor.
Normal for Itasca is week two September.

 

[Greg Corey]

I would say start now. Sounds like bird pressure may be high. They start to get a taste for the grapes shortly after veraison so now is a good time to do a final leaf pull/thin to open up the harvest zone and then net. You could always try a bird deterrent kite or Owls as others suggested but blackbirds, robins and sparrows do not mess around once they get a taste and get pretty bold pretty quickly. Also, net well. I had to let out 4 birds this morning (1 dead) due to poor netting by some helpers.

 

[Hazelemere]

I would say start now. Sounds like bird pressure may be high. They start to get a taste for the grapes shortly after veraison so now is a good time to do a final leaf pull/thin to open up the harvest zone and then net. You could always try a bird deterrent kite or Owls as others suggested but blackbirds, robins and sparrows do not mess around once they get a taste and get pretty bold pretty quickly. Also, net well. I had to let out 4 birds this morning (1 dead) due to poor netting by some helpers.

listen to Greg!

 

[Obbnw]

My Baco noir and tempranillos is have been coloring up nicely for 2 weeks now, malbecs and tannat are still solid green.

The tannats are usually late but the malbecs and tempranillos are usually within days.

Hmmm.

 

[Greg Corey]

My Baco noir and tempranillos is have been coloring up nicely for 2 weeks now, malbecs and tannat are still solid green.

The tannats are usually late but the malbecs and tempranillos are usually within days.

Hmmm.

It's been an odd year in SLC. I wonder if the heat has stunted some varieties. My Itasca is hard as a rock still. Frontenac, Marquette, and Aromella are mostly doing what I'd expect.

 

[countygrapeguy]

Marquette started around July 30th.
Crimson Pearl on August 1st.
Frontenac on August 4th
Petite Pearl on August 7th.
Verona on August 9th.

Everything is roughly 1 week earlier than last year.