Ramirez Vineyard Services

A fond “adios” to some friends

Catherine — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:32:14 +0000

Our amigos from Mexico and Costa Rica are returning home. Manuel, Julian, Emiliano and Ezequiel worked long and hard with Edgar this season to successfully complete the makeover of the vineyards at O.H. We’ll miss them and we wish them well. Muchas gracias amigos y les desean mucha suerte!

Harvest 2010

Catherine — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:20:43 +0000

We’ve been getting some pretty astounding tonnage this harvest, especially considering the challenging weather we’ve been dealt this season.

Dave picking

Leaf Pulling

Edgar — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:55:48 +0000

Aaron leaf pulling the Guwertztraminer

Leaf pulling the Guwertztraminer at Harwood, done by hand. We pull off all the leaves around the grapes to uncover them for better sun exposure and better spray coverage. We pulled leaves a little bit late in the season this year because the sun has been quite hot for the last 6 weeks or so. We have seen some sunburn damage at other vineyards and we wanted to keep our grapes covered a bit longer to prevent this. But now they can be exposed for ripening and sweetening. Next, the nets get installed right after the leaf pulling to protect the grapes from birds. Seems like this season the birds are getting into the vineyards early. Even though the fruit isn’t that sweet yet they are starting to eat them anyway.

After, the grapes are exposed

Get your trellis installed the first year

Edgar — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:23:34 +0000

It is important to get your trellis system installed right after planting your vines. Why? First of all, there is a small window of time in the spring in the grape-growing season when things are not yet as busy as they are going to get further on into the season. This is the perfect time to actually get a hold of any contractors you may want to help you with the trellis. Schedules tend to be still open and flexible. As the season heats up and contractors get booked-up and busy they are less available to come when you want them. Meanwhile, your vines are growing and as they get taller they will have no where to go except to fall on the ground. This makes grape hoeing, cultivating, spraying and any of your other essential ongoing maintenance extremely difficult to perform. I have seen vineyards still without a trellis system in August and things are usually a mess. By installing your trellis right after planting you will save yourself headaches and money in your vineyard.

Not enough rain

Edgar — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:40:21 +0000

It’s dry out there! Several of our vineyards are experiencing the drying effects of not enough rain. What a change from last month. We are bringing in trucks of water for some of our clients and irrigating the vineyards to supplement what Mother Nature is now holding back on.

Too much rain

Edgar — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:59:47 +0000

Weeds love rain! We’ve had so much rain in the last couple of weeks… everyone’s vineyard has exploded with weeds. Also, rain = moisture = disease = spraying. Nature has given us a real challenge lately to keep up with the spraying. Three of us are out spraying different vineyards, then it would rain again and wash off the spray. We sprayed again, then it would rain yet again! Then the wind would kick up which made re-spraying impossible. Today we added four extra pairs of hands to get the weeds under control. And we’ll be spraying well into the week now that the rain and wind have gone. Mother Nature… she truly is the boss of the vineyards.

Protecting Your Investment: Why Vines Die

Edgar — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:39:33 +0000

Here are four reasons why vines die:

1. The vine just wasn’t biologically strong enough to survive.

2. The vine had to compete with weeds for nutrients – - sometimes the weeds end up with the lion’s share. What to do? Keep the vineyard well weeded.

3. GH disease (grape hoe disease). Easy with the grape hoe!

4. Winter kill. Our winters in PEC can be brutal on the vines. We like to do an extreme hill-up around your vines to protect them through the winter. We swear by it… Our clients didn’t lose one vine to winter kill last year.

New baby vines

Catherine — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:05:08 +0000

Chardonnay, Cab Franc and Pinot

Guess what the Purolator guy delivered today? A box of new baby vines! Direct from Gemmrich Nursery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, they’re for our clients who are replanting a few. It was almost like xmas unwrapping each carefully packed bundle of vines: 50 Chardonnay, 20 Cabernet Franc and 20 Pinot Noir. Each type has its tips dipped in colored wax. The Pinot still has its clearance certificate from France attached! I set them in a tub of water where they will rest until they go off to their new homes to sink their roots deep into the rich PEC terroir. I’m babysitting vines for the next few days!

New toy: Post-Pounder

Edgar — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:18:29 +0000

The volcanic ash from Iceland’s recent volcanic eruption affected lives around the world including ours here in idyllic Wellington. My new post-pounder being shipped from France was delayed due to flights being grounded. But it finally arrived and is hooked-up to the tractor in it’s new bracket. Ready and raring to pound your t-bars and end posts quickly, efficiently, and believe it or not, gently! (Oh, and in-line with each other!)

Crooked end posts & t-bars

Edgar — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:04:44 +0000

How do I judge a well-kept vineyard? One of the first things I look at are the end posts and t-bars. Nothing says “unkempt” like a vineyard full of crooked end posts and t-bars.

nice

Maybe I’m a strict task-master, but I like to stand at the end post, gaze down the row and not even be able to see the t-bars. And when I stand at the edge of the vineyard and look at the row of end posts, I should only be able to see the first one. That says “professional” to me.