Winter is traditionally my favorite time in the wine business. While vines are dormant, it’s a time to reflect on the past growing season and fruits of our labors, while engaging in strategic planning necessary for a successful new year. The most rewarding work I do is to devise annual brand plans and marketing road maps that guide clients throughout the year. After all how can one gauge success without measuring preconceived goals?
Marketing is all about the power of intention. It is, therefore, essential that the words that fuel the fire of intention be precisely stated. This slow season is a good time to review the company business plan, mission statement and executive summary. While reflecting on company culture, evaluate whether it is still relevant or needs updating in any way. How well are you doing as a team upholding intended standards set forth when the foundation was established? Are you effectively integrating new employees into your company culture? Does everyone know your story well enough to offer clear, concise, consistent messaging in relaying what differentiates your company from local and global competitors?
The common denominator of all Sonoma County vineyards and wineries is the seasonal life of a vine. Let’s examine what happens agriculturally in wine country. Surrounded by vineyards, we are certainly aware of activities during harvest. For those of you who may not know what happens throughout the rest of the year, here is a brief summary.
During the regenerative time of winter, vines are dormant. They begin a long winter’s rest as leaves fall from the vines after the first frost of winter. In January, viticulturists do the agricultural equivalent of creating a brand plan. They prune and tie the vines. This critical time in the vineyard is when vines are evaluated and every detail considered to optimize growth potential of the vine for the coming season. As temperatures warm and the light of day extends, vines awaken.
Spring initiates bud break and the beginning of the growth cycle. Tiny green shoots extend from the bud and this growth continues as temperatures warm for two to three months, which leads to flowering. Once the clusters have flowered and are pollinated, development of the berries begins. Spring in the vineyards is one of the busiest times. Damage from winter rains is assessed and repairs are completed. Cover crops planted in the fall begin to thrive. Barley, oats, winter peas, common vetch, mustard and other crops planted between rows provide habitat for beneficial insects and enhance biological diversity in the root zones. Cover crops give numerous other benefits including protecting soil from erosion, and improving vine growth, soil fertility and water holding capacity.
The small green grape berries, now pollinated and with fruit set, begin to increase in size. Next up is the process of veraison, a French word that signals the beginning of the color changes from green to red or green to golden yellow.
In summer, vines are irrigated with precisely the right amount of water, preferably using drip to avoid waste. Leaves are thinned around the clusters, offering vines more sunlight and air, which ensures the highest quality concentrated fruit flavors and reduces chances of disease.
As summer turns to fall, grapes for sparkling wines (primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) are picked, followed by other grape varieties. Details of harvest are complicated and diverse and we will discuss specifics in August when grape are ready to be picked and turned into wine.
Vines complete their cycle after harvest with the onset of diminishing light and colder temperatures. As vines begin to shut down, nutrients from the season are stored in the trunks to provide energy necessary to develop shoots for new growth in spring.
Relevance for Today: Winegrowing is a most strategic and thoughtful endeavor. It resembles a three-legged stool with environment, terroir and the intervention of man determining the integrity of the grapes and thus wine. This month, as you observe bare vines and the men and women pruning and training them, know that the work they are doing today determines the quality of wines that will be made in the year to come.
Marie Gewirtz represents wine and food clients with marketing and communications in Sonoma County and throughout the world. She can also be found maneuvering tractors on the banks of the Russian River.
