Chuck went out to our blocks of fruit at Pepper Bridge & Seven Hills Vineyards and was pleased to see the first glimpse of bud break on Friday, April 10.

This pleasure quickly turned to worry as we sweated ice bullets over the weekend - temperatures early this week dipped into the low 20s at the base of Seven Hills. Fortunately for us, all our blocks are higher up where it’s warmer and none of our blocks show visible damage. Both our blocks at Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills look as if they escaped the cold!

In fact, our blocks of Pepper Bridge Vineyard Merlot were weeping early in the morning on April 13. The pooling of sap, or weeping, from the fresh pruned vines is the first visible sign that the vines are waking up after the long, cold winter. The first signs of weeping is one of the most uplifting moments of the growing season for winemakers and viticulturists alike, especially given how 2020 began.

Some vines are more ahead than others. Our blocks of Pepper Bridge Vineyard Syrah and Seven Hills Vineyard Petit Verdot are just starting to bud whereas our Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc are in full bud break. New this year to the REININGER wine program is a new block of Cabernet Sauvignon from Seven Hills Vineyard that we are very excited about. Below is a collection of bud break photos Chuck took while in the vines.