Things are starting to look a lot different around here. Things are looking more...yellow. It's a good job that I think yellow is a very nice, happy colour because every vineyard around here is not so green anymore. The grapevines have given up their crop for this vintage and are now shutting down for their long winter nap, a process called senescence. A grape leaf lives for approximately 150 days and so the first to give up the ghost and fall to the ground is usually the first one that grew in the spring. The vine, however, first removes any goodies it can from the leaves and stores what it can in it's root system. This way it is assured a kick start in the spring when the ground begins to warm up again. The correct colour sequence is green, then yellow and finally brown...and down, not the autumnal colours depicted on postcards all over the Napa Valley. Red leaves mean the plant is virused and will eventually die. I must confess that I love to see the horrified look on visitors faces when I tell them that. My grandmother would have said that the 'divil' was in me.Saturday, October 18, 2008
The essence of senescence.
Things are starting to look a lot different around here. Things are looking more...yellow. It's a good job that I think yellow is a very nice, happy colour because every vineyard around here is not so green anymore. The grapevines have given up their crop for this vintage and are now shutting down for their long winter nap, a process called senescence. A grape leaf lives for approximately 150 days and so the first to give up the ghost and fall to the ground is usually the first one that grew in the spring. The vine, however, first removes any goodies it can from the leaves and stores what it can in it's root system. This way it is assured a kick start in the spring when the ground begins to warm up again. The correct colour sequence is green, then yellow and finally brown...and down, not the autumnal colours depicted on postcards all over the Napa Valley. Red leaves mean the plant is virused and will eventually die. I must confess that I love to see the horrified look on visitors faces when I tell them that. My grandmother would have said that the 'divil' was in me.
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5 comments:
she was always right!
You should write a book Vinogirl directed at people like me who want to understand more about wine and winemaking. Y'know, an idiots' guide sort of thing. You write succinctly and you know your onions, as it were.
Hear Hear.I thought it was all just sweaty feet and oak barrells.P.S. The pip recently disgorged itself.Bouche R.D.(2008).PIP RIP!
Ron may have a point..the dummies books are ok but not warm enough.
Maybe if I give up sleeping I will have time to write a book. I'm flattered but I'm happy in my little Vinoworld.
M'Lordship...recently disgorged? Just like a fab '82 Bolly!
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