Vineyard Update & Photos – Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Posted on September 7, 2009

A longer-than-usual visit to Knudsen Vineyards this last weekend netted some nice photos, a few video clips, some immensely tasty grapes and some wet camera hardware. In this first picture, you can see the heavy clouds forming over the vineyards. Moments after this was taken, rain fell for 30 minutes.

Both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are very, very close to being harvested. After a huge thinning in early August, the remaining grapes have matured quite well, and are surprisingly delicious.

Here you can see clusters of Pinot Noir grapes:

These are Chardonnay grapes:

Stay tuned for more vineyard updates and harvest photos (and video!).
 

Veraison in the Vineyards, Harvest Coming Soon

Posted on August 20, 2009

Another vineyard update from the Dundee Hills. The current stage of growth is called Veraison. Up until late summer all the grape berries on the vines are small, hard, acidic and green. Veraison signals the start of ripening. At this stage the berries change skin color and soften, sugars increase and acids decrease. This picture shows a cluster in which many of the berries have undergone Veraison.

From this point forward, grapes will continue to mature. We’ll thin the vines and then harvest grapes in the next 4-6 weeks.

Oregon Chardonnay at Knudsen Vineyards

Posted on August 5, 2009

A quick trip up to Knudsen Vineyards yielded a hundred or more photos of the vines, grapes and beautiful scenery. As for the vines, they’re thriving and survived the intense heat wave with what might have been a disinterested yawn (if vines could yawn). The grapes are forming quite nicely – still young and appropriately bitter, but on their way to being quite delicious.

Vineyard Update – Flowering

Posted on June 29, 2009

Vines are currently flowering, and in a few short weeks fruit will begin growing in full force.

 

Argyle Vineyard Update

Posted on May 29, 2009

A quick run out to Knudsen Vineyards on Thursday netted some nice photos and a good-news update on vine growth. Vines, leaves and clusters all look gorgeous, just as they should in this near-perfect climate in the high Dundee Hills. These clusters are pre-bloom Chardonnay. In about two weeks, the clusters will become flowers, and those flowers will produce the tiny berries that will grow into wine grapes.

Leaves are deep, rich green, just bursting with photosynthetic life.

These clusters will eventually produce wine that will likely find its way into a bottle of Argyle Brut.

Overlooking the Willamette Valley… a southeast view towards Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson.

Vines arching toward the sun. As if this wasn’t beautiful enough, in a few weeks the flowers (and the entire vineyard) will smell of sweet citrus blossom and honey. It’s delicious sensory paradise.

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