PS: It’s the best time to experience wine country
Right now, there’s a lot of sex in the vineyards. (Strictly between the vines of course). And it may sound odd to say, but it’s also a great time to visit wine country.
Cultivated vines are hermaphroditic, meaning that the reproductive organs of both sexes are simultaneously present. So, come late Spring, grapevines pollinate themselves.
But only if the moment is right. Grapes, as it turns out, are rather particular. Too much wind? Forget it. A chill in the air? The grapes get a headache. Rain? May as well take a cold shower. Only when it’s calm, peaceful, and gently warm will grapevines procreate.
The tender process is called “flowering,” and if all goes well, tiny white flowers will appear on the vine’s green shoots. You can see them right now in vineyards throughout California. With time, these tiny clusters of white flowers will become clusters of grapes. But if circumstances go awry and no flowers appear, there will be no grapes.
Flowering almost always happens in May (in the northern hemisphere), and it’s my favorite time to take clients on private wine experiences in Napa Valley, or wine country anywhere. In May, you can see a vintage’s “moment of conception.” Plus it’s a great time to visit and taste with winemakers because they are so full of hope and expectation.
After all, at the top estates, a “vintage of the century” might just be in the process of being born.
