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Below you can see the amazing growth in the month’s time since Update #3.

In fact, the vines have grown so that you can longer even see Robert Mondavi Winery in the background of the last photo.

Looking Towards Nickel & Nickel Winery

Grape Clusters Ten Weeks Post-Bud Break

Looking Towards Robert Mondavi Winery

These shots were taken in the same vineyard as Update #2.

It’s amazing how much growth has occurred in three weeks time.

Nickel & Nickel Winery in Background

Grape Clusters Six Weeks Post-Bud Break

Robert Mondavi Winery in Background

[This post, as is noted below would happen, was modified on 3.27.10. Dang, I didn't think it would take me so long to get back to...I guess it WAS a busy week indeed. -JLJP]

So. I am still figuring out how I want to number these vineyard updates now, as we’re just coming into the new season/vintage…

But. I don’t want to postpone sharing the big news of bud break!

So. Here are some photos of bud break in a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, taken just outside my new office at an awesome little winery located in Oakville.

But. Please note that some details of this here post, including the title, may (or may not) change as I decide how to move forward.

I’ve put some thought into the numbering of these vineyard updates. As it is a new year, should I start over with update number one?

Well, as you can see, I decided not to; I figured that the vineyards don’t operate according to our little annual calendar.

Perhaps I will start over when the growing season begins again with bud break. We’ll see.

In the meantime, you can see in the photos below that the mustard has really grown since the last update.

By the way, one of my first visits to the Napa Valley was during the mustard season. It truly is a remarkable time of year here. Not only are the vineyards striking, the Napa Valley Mustard Festival is also going on. There are some wonderful events scheduled in January, February & March (click here for an event calendar), several of which are family-friendly. Stay tuned for future reports on those…

Also, I particularly recommend visiting this time of the year as there are markedly fewer tourists. There’s rarely any traffic (it can be brutal in summer), and it’s much easier to visit wineries (you could be the only folks in the tasting room), to get a restaurant reservation (many even offer special deals) and to book a hotel room (possibly for half the price of peak season rates).

And, while it can be rainy and chilly, it could just as likely be sunny and in the mid-60s.

So–do a little research, pack layers and come enjoy the valley like the locals do.

Driving down valley today, we noticed the first of the mustard has just started to bloom.

The mustard season is one of the most striking, as the vineyards are blanketed in billowing blooms of tiny yellow flowers.

It seems to me that this year the mustard is early. I’m not sure if that’s because we haven’t had that much rain yet, it hasn’t been that cold yet, or that I am just not remembering right.

Anyway, this was taken in the vineyard across from Crane Park. You can see more of this same vineyard during the past year here and here and here.

Taken at the vineyard across from Crane Park–which, earlier in the season, was also featured here:

While Sangiovese is not a grape varietal widely planted in the Napa Valley, there are a handful of producers such as Benessere Vineyards in Calistoga.

I do not know the exact date these grapes were picked, but due to the recent wild weather, I understand that most grapes that will come in, have come in.

While I understand that the majority of the grapes in the Napa Valley have been brought in (that’s vineyard-speak for picked), this vineyard in Rutherford remains to be harvested.

And while driving down-valley today, we noticed that quite a few vineyards have also not yet been picked.

With showers forecasted, things will get even more interesting this week as rain can have all sorts of undesirable effects on grapes at this point–from dilution of the juice to mold on the clusters. Or not.

This point in time is a great reminder that grape-growing or wine-growing or whatever-one-calls it, is truly farming and as such is extremely subject to the variables of nature.

You can also ask my sister and her husband all about farming.