Overall what fruit we do have is looking good – and we are validated in the organic program, working through our second year of the 3-year process for certification, with our certification to be issued in the summer of 2027. Yay !!!!
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Well, you win some & you lose some. As of July 8, 2026…
The good news first: The Organic program is working very well. I know at first the season seemed easy enough & dry, and I honestly don’t know where we are technically in terms of “technical” drought – but once the precipitation kicked in starting the Wednesday before Memorial Day, it seemingly hasn’t stopped. Which means we got seriously tested.
It rained 3.5 inches from Wednesday evening prior to Memorial Day straight through that Sunday Morning, and then another 1.5 inches from that Sunday evening through the following Wednesday. Well – I will say I am more committed than most growers, as I was in there on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend spraying all day while the Tasting Room team held down the fort. This prolonged rain started immediately as bloom in our Albariño was starting. Bloom is the most sensitive time, as the flowers open to expose unprotected tissue that is to become the berry, being a worst case scenario for disease, and the rains can also seriously disrupt pollination. Well – the pollination actually went ok, and the good news is we made it though, up to now, with at most half a percent loss due to disease, maybe less. Phew !!!!! Albariño definitely has shown itself to be our most susceptible block – so this is good intel.
And I gotta say this was important – not just for the evidence of a successful organic system, but because Albariño is my most fruitful block following all the April freeze losses, and Petit Verdot is coming in second – and also looking great !!!
There is still one phase to watch – as the Albariño goes from green to gold during veraison, which is when the evidence of latent infections can show up, but I’m feeling ok about it.
So overall what fruit we do have is looking good – and we are validated in the organic program, working through our second year of the 3-year process for certification, with our certification to be issued in the summer of 2027. Yay !!!!
The bad news: We are looking at a crop of only about 15% to 20% of normal – ouch. Cause who else can we buy Organic Virginia Grapes from ?????? And this is on the heels of drought and winter injury giving us a low crop in 2025. But the injury seems to be increasing. We lost a good many Chenin Blanc vines and the remaining Chenin vines are mostly struggling. We lost about half the Petite Sirah vines. And it looks like an entire half acre of the youngest Tannat vines (clone 794) all have enough vascular damage to the trunks that they are all dying. (Yes we still have 2 other older acres of Tannat that seem okay). These young Tannat vines, as the season progressed, just all turned yellow and purple with tiny stunted shoots. They just won’t grow or green up, so I expect to lose them over this coming winter.
So we have decisions to make, work to do, and dealing with another unexpected round of investment. Can’t say its an easy time to be in small business right now.
Otherwise, Sandy and I are doing well, and appreciate all of you that cheer us on.
Thank you as always for sharing our journey!
Jason
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