As new Vineyard owners, my wife Janel and I, have had an immense eagerness to see the entire vine process from start to harvest. We didn’t fully understand how it all worked though. We would soon find out.

The air was crisp and the birds were chirping in all directions on that cool day near the beginning of April. I went outside and gazed towards the vines and a strange feeling came over me. I was unnerved to see how barren the current acreage of vines had been. It felt similar to rolling tumbleweeds in a desolate desert. There were small vine trunks only about a foot or two out of the ground with small arms that pulled in different directions. They appeared tired and frail with very little potential from my novice eyes. Their state was a far contrast from what I remembered during last year’s harvest. I soon found out though that they had just been pruned.

Fast forward to this week. The hot and humid air continues to permeate throughout Wolf Gap Vineyard. The sound of tractors can be heard constantly off in the distance. I make my way towards the vineyard and am soon overtaken by the sixty day change. The vines are now approaching six feet tall with large canopies of leaves throughout. The leaves are everywhere and anywhere. The leaves flow all over the vines like a kid with messy hair. Small shoots have now grown from the arms and have allowed the leaves to grow freely. I was informed though that some buds from April stopped growing because of some last minute frost.  I don’t see any of that. All I see is an impressive growth of green. The potential of the vineyard has now taken a 180 degree turn.

We now must wait yet another sixty days or so to see the bunches of grapes begin to take form. We know that they pop up very rapidly when the time is right. Why can’t that time be right now? I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. Hurry up already. Janel and I are both very anxious to begin the 2022 harvest. I just hope it comes sooner rather than later.