M is for...

...my 1000th post on Vinsanity.  Whoo hoo!  Yup, I've had that much to say, it's incredible.  A lot of the time my posts have been short, but sometimes they've been, in my opinion, too long (I prefer short and snappy).  I've done a ton of posts about the Vinodogs, insects, weeds and wine-tastings.  However, the majority of posts have been about grapevines, vineyards and viticulture (my true focus).  But wait, there's more.

D is for...

...damned lucky!

A propitiously warm Napa evening had me, Vinomaker and the Vinodogs dining outside for what was only the 3rd time this year. A white bean cassoulet, green salad, and garlic bread was just what the doctor ordered after a hot afternoon spent in the vineyard suckering the vines.

We initially paired the cassoulet with a Saddleback Cellars 2008 Pinot blanc, a wine we have enjoyed a lot of lately. Nils Venge, the proprietor of Saddleback Cellars, is perhaps mostly known in these parts for being the first American ever to achieve a perfect 100 point score, given by internationally renowned wine critic Robert Parker Jr. It was OK with the cassoulet. I love this wine just on it's own, but we switched to a Groth 2005 Cabernet sauvignon - the winery at which Mr. Venge was employed when he vinted the 1985 Cabernet sauvignon Reserve that garnered the perfect score.

A French dish paired with French wine varietals on this the most auspicious of days...D-Day; when if it wasn't for our brave British troops, and their stalwart American and Canadian allies, I'd more than likely be sitting here drinking a Gewürztraminer right now!

N is for...

...nitrogen.
The main source of environmental nitrogen is the atmosphere. We are all breathing about 78% nitrogen gas right now. Nitrogen fixation is the process by which gaseous nitrogen changes into nitrate or ammonium, something more usable to grapevines.
The above picture shows vetch, caught in the act of, fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere. The pink nodules on the roots show that nitrogen fixation is active. The amount of fixation depends on many things; cover crop type, soil pH, soil temperature, soil moisture, etc. The incorporation of the vetch into the soil, by disking, can double soil nitrogen content compared to a no-till green manure approach. However, disking is bad for soil health as it causes compaction, so here, in Vinoland, we mow. A significant amount of nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere by volatilisation in a no-till operation, but that's OK, the cycle will happen again next year...and I'll have something to kvetch about once more.

A is for...

...anxiety. It is also for the grade I got in the oenology class I took last semester. My 4.0 GPA is still intact...whoo hoo!!!
I must admit I was getting a little worried as the grades seemed awfully slow in being posted on the college's website. I checked it several times over the Christmas holidays and was becoming ever increasingly discouraged when nought was to be found. But at last, Wednesday morning, I checked before going to work...and there it was in all it's pointy glory...my A. Phew!
This semester I will be only taking one class as I have a heavier work load, my family will be here from Blighty and I will be happily winging my way home in May. But the one class I'll be taking is...English. I just know I am going to flunk it!

R is for Race.

Even though we had over 3 inches of rain last weekend, just 2 inches beneath the surface, the vineyard soil is extremely dry.  It's the same every year, the first rainfalls just run off and drain away.  However, there is a peculiar, evolutionary phenomenon going on outside at the moment; the r-selection species of weeds, (as opposed to the k-selection which is for a future blog), are unearthing themselves after being entombed in the inhospitable California summer soil. These plants display traits that make them highly adaptable to, and exploitative of, the current moisture/temperature conditions. The ability to reproduce quickly is perhaps the most crucial as they must go through an entire growth cycle in a highly unpredictable and unstable environment. It's a race for survival. Combined with small body size, early maturity, high fecundity and the ability to disperse their offspring, they must take advantage of what Mother Nature has to offer them, right now, to endure. Very opportunistic little guys and gals.
It's fun having a walk with the Vinodogs as there is a lot of new stuff to entertain Vinogirl. Viewed from a certain angle, there is a verdant green haze covering every flat surface...even my coconut front doormat has a germinated burr medic clover seed, happily reaching up to the autumn sun.