harvest reports
Viticulture and Winemaking Update
To My Friends:
In one handful of healthy soil there are hundreds of thousands of living microorganisms. If you think of these little creatures as four-star chefs working on and below the ground, these organisms break down organic compounds and local minerals in the soil and serve them up gourmet-style for nourishment to our vines. Grape vines growing in healthy and vibrant soil feed from and bond to the land through a living membrane of these microorganisms. Suffice it to say that indigenous, unique soil biology is at the heart of the concept of terroir.
When talking about preserving and encouraging biodiversity, what happens below the ground is just as important as what happens above. These underground entities are living in a system of delicately balanced relationships that can be disrupted by herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and poorly timed farming practices.
To maintain this balance at the Benziger Estate, weed control in our mountain vineyards must be performed with care. Weeds growing directly under the vine need to be reduced or eliminated because they compete with the vine for vital moisture and nutrients. They can also contaminate grapes with noxious odors and flavors. The natural farming methods employed by Benziger and some of our growers preclude the use of chemicals, so we have gone back to one of the oldest agricultural methods of control (but new to grapes!) - burning.
Our family wishes all of you a great Holiday season and a meaningful 2003.
Benziger Family Vineyards
Sonoma Mountain, December 2, 2002