Ready, steady, bud!

And there you have it - Orange Muscat budbreak, 2017.  Ever so slightly behind last year (not surprising seeing as Vinoland had just experienced 8 days of frosty mornings), the Orange Muscat vines are waking up from their long winter nap.  As expected, it is the apical buds that are the most enthused.  Go little buddies, but stay warm.
Meanwhile, I am frantically pruning the Syrah vines.  With rain forecast for the next two days, it means I will be pruning the vines with my waterproofs on.  Prune hearty!

Pinot grigio: Version 2014.

A little more than bud-swell, slowly but surely Vinoland's Pinot grigio vines are experiencing budbreak.  As usual, I finished pruning the Pinot grigio vines, and tying down the canes with Vinomaker's help, just in time for this important stage of the vine's development.  It's quite difficult to tie down canes when the buds have already started to push because there is the danger of knocking the buds off. 
The weather has cooled down a bit and more rain is forecast for this weekend, so I think I am on schedule to finish pruning all of Vinoland about the same time as last year (March 30th).  I think I have plenty of time, at the rate I am going, to finish pruning before the Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) and Syrah vines become enthused.  I am a little under half way through the CS vines (which still seem to be snoozing), but unfortunately I have to work at TWWIAGE today and won't be able to do anything in the vineyard.  It's OK, I'm not panicking.  I repeat, I am not panicking.