March 23, 2024: Bud Break!
It’s bud break in the Texas Hill Country! Read what Laura has to say about this time of year:
Each year I eagerly await budbreak in the vineyard. For me, it heralds Spring and a fresh new season. Almost overnight the vineyard goes from brown and barren to green and lush. I welcome the warmer temperatures and longer days that tell each vine it is time to draw on all the energy stored deep in its trunk and bud and begin to bud. Not being a viticulturist, I am unable to educate on the scientific side of budbreak. I know different varietals break on a different schedules and that the vine is no longer dependent on its stored mineral energy reserves, but beyond that, I am clueless.
My celebration of budbreak has more to do with excitement for a new season. How will it develop? What does Mother Nature have in store for the next 6 months? Will it be a phenomenal year for Texas grapes (like 2017)? Will we dodge the perils of pop up hailstorms or late season freezes that can cause devastation to a vineyard and eradicate this year’s crop! We will just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I will enjoy the season of budbreak and watching those buds grow, grow, grow. In our vineyard, in Fredericksburg, I swear I can see measurable growth from day to day. They say great wines start in the vineyard, so let the fun begin. Come for a visit and see for yourself.