Bud break has arrived in our McCormack Ranch Vineyard! We thought we would share a little bit about bud break and what it means for a new season of wine grape growing.

Why it’s Important

Outside of harvest, bud break is the busiest season in the vineyard. Prior to bud break, it is common practice to prune the vines. When pruning, the vines will “bleed” which is the first sign of the vines waking up from dormancy, and bud break is right around the corner. “Bleeding” refers to the vines priming its system for the upcoming season. Bud break is the vines initiation of new tissue. This new tissue will become the shoots and future clusters of the future crop.

2020 Bud Break

What makes Bud break different this season is the dry year (not enough rain) we have experienced this winter. With this comes certain practices we must implement in order to get our season off on the right foot. This includes beginning irrigation so we have adequate soil moisture to promote even bud-break throughout the vineyard. An even bud break ensures even maturity of the fruit come harvest time. We are also in the process of implementing our fungicide program for the 2020 season to prevent fungal infections from things such as powdery mildew.

We love the arrival of bud break. It signifies the arrival of the new season.

Have questions? We would love to answer them. You can reach us at [email protected]