Goosecross Vineyard Flowering.mp4

The buds flower and form clusters around mid-to-late May.

We are fortunate that the flowers are self-pollinating, so we don't have to worry about bees or wind to carry the pollen. We only worry about the weather. Too much rain, high winds or excess heat can impair pollination. Again, we are fortunate because most years we go for months without rain after the end of April.

The weather is blessedly boring and predictable most years, and generally leads to good "fruit set."

Once the crop is set, we count the clusters. Of course, there's nothing we can do about too few, but if we count more clusters than we believe the vines can ripen well, we drop the excess on the ground right then and there.

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Education

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• wine
• winery
• vineyard
• flowering
• wine grapes