A little over a week after planting a row of Petit Manseng, it was time to visit the vineyard. Our task yesterday was to move the soil to three inches below the graft. When we first planted the vines, the soil was mounded up over the graft. Mounding the soil over the graft protected the graft. We have had hot and humid weather for the past week. In just eight days new growth was between one and four inches. I checked the other vines that were planted a few weeks earlier and they had between ten and fifteen inches of new growth.
Rob Pearre, vineyard manager, was in the vineyard removing surface rocks. It was interesting to see a lone chair on a high point overlooking a sea of blue grow tubes. I can imagine relaxing in the chair watching the vineyard grow. One of the most difficult challenges of grape growing is waiting for the vines to produce grapes for a harvest. But a vineyard, even without grapes, is a thing of beauty.
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