Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/264184
W i n e s & V i n e s M A R C H 2 0 1 4 37 G R A P E G R O W I N G throughout the vineyard and has, at times, become rather costly. I like to shoot-thin before flowering, which is a pretty big gamble if the weather doesn't cooperate at bloom. I cluster-thin right after berry set and then follow that up with the removal of laterals around the clusters (morning side only). The next pass is usually a winging and possibly another cluster drop to target a more specific yield. If the shoots become unruly and need to be hedged, then that is usually the next operation. An unseasonable rain may require an additional lateral removal pass, and then I usually do my final cluster thinning at 90% véraison, removing any cluster with more than 75% green berries. Methodical and calculated canopy and crop management is really the key to growing Williams Selyem- quality fruit. W&V: You're leaving Williams Selyem at the end of the 2014 harvest. What are your plans? Cabral: I don't have everything set in concrete, as there are still some details to iron out. The idea is to make a little bit of my own wine with my family as part of the plan. And explore some ideas that I've had for quite some time. I love everything about the wine business and look forward to the wonderful opportunities it can provide me and my family. I just need a change. And I believe Wil- liams Selyem will benefit from a change. It's time to let go of a few things and allow my fellow employees to grow in their positions as Williams Selyem grows. Sometimes change is good. Seventeen years is a long time in one place, and I want to explore other opportunities. I still think my best vintages are to come, and I wish everyone at Williams Selyem the best. A resident of the Santa Cruz Moun- tains, Laurie Daniel has been a journalist for more than 25 years. She has been writing about wine for publications for nearly 15 years and has been a Wines & Vines contributor since 2006. Williams Selyem produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel and late-harvest wines.