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36 W i n e s & V i n e s M A R C H 2 0 1 4 G R A P E G R O W I N G again, is a bit of a judgment call, as you are trying to determine when the seeds just start to harden in the berries. There seems to be a bit of a natural buffer in this of about seven days. Again, this can be some- what inaccurate for a novice estimator or an unfamiliar vineyard site. W&V: Do you generally have to drop some fruit from your Pinot Noir vines? Cabral: I usually have to do some sort of crop thinning every growing season. Sometimes it is just the removal of wings or a final green drop at 90% véraison (as in 2005, 2008 and 2011). Other times, it can be the removal of 50% of the clusters right after berry set (as in 1997, 2006, 2012 and 2013). But most of the time I would guess that we remove less than 25% of the clusters in a more typical growing season. It just depends on the site and the growing season. I am a big believer in the importance of the timing of the operation as much as the performing of the operation. Over my ten- ure as a winemaker in Sonoma County (27 years), I have had much more success with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfan- del when I time most viticultural opera- tions. This usually results in several passes Learning from the grapegrowers A t Williams Selyem, director of winemaking Bob Cabral has worked with a lot of growers. How much direction he gives them depends on the farmer and how long he has been working with him. "With a new grower (and for the first five to six years I was with Williams Selyem), I attempt to work with the grower throughout the year," Cabral says. That includes prun- ing decisions, a visit just before flowering to see if shoot-thinning is needed estimating crop size, visits to determine whether cluster-thinning or leaf removal is needed, and general monitoring of vine health and water needs. "Then I try to get out to the vineyard weekly after 100% véraison to monitor crop maturity all the way up until the day we harvest," he says. He also visits after harvest to see whether a deep irrigation or perhaps a compost tea is needed. After several years, Cabral adds, "Most of the growers I work with are pretty much on the same page, and we are all attempting to grow the best fruit we can, year in and year out." There are also growers who teach him, Cabral says, citing the example of Joe Rochio- li. "You can learn so much from a person like this who is literally out in their vineyards on a daily basis. They just see so much more than you can, even on a weekly visit." L.D. 1808 Harmon Street • Berkeley, CA • 510-547-6464 • Fax 510-547-3620 E-mail: RD1967@aol.com • Web site: http://go.to/RandD Suppliers of Lab Glassware to the Wine Industry since 1967 Research & Development Glass Products & Equipment, Inc. Glass Apparatus for the Wine Laboratory Acclaimed by enologists across the continent! The RD80 Volatile Acid Still is an improvement on the Cash Still for determination of volatile acids in wine. It features an aspirator pump to remove the spent sample, which speeds testing, saves water, avoids repair bills, and prevents cross contamination of samples. The R&D SO2 Apparatus uses the Aeration- Oxidation Method to maximize testing accuracy. It is specifically designed for this test in con- sultation with enologists. Flexible spherical joints and interchangeable flasks facilitate simple operation and minimize breakage. We manufacture a full line of wine laboratory equipment, and also provide Glassware Design Engineering, Custom Fabrication, and Repair Services. CALL, FAX OR WRITE FOR OUR CATALOG OF WINE APPARATUS. R&D_Jan08 11/12/07 3:54 PM Page 1