Amalie Robert Estate Climate Update: 2005 September

Hello,
It appears the early fall rains have arrived. This is a nice opportunity to wash up the clusters and get them ready for their big adventure to the winery. I hear it everyday as I sample the berries, "Can we go to the winery today?", "Are we there yet?", "I am starting to raisin!". With about 489,368 clusters chiming in, there is just no end to it.
Here are the numbers. For the last half of September, we received about 34,000 gallons of natural irrigation per acre, or about 1.25 inches of rain. Most of the rain came on the last day of the month, just as we were finishing our first harvest of the season. We have accumulated about 147 heat units since the 15th of September, bringing us to a total of 1,987 for the 2005 growing season.
We are seeing some bird damage, mostly from the Cedar Waxwings. The basal leaves are starting to yellow, and with the recent storm, are making their way to the vineyard floor (I gave them a map). Time for the worms to get busy. Our last spray of the season was Flint. At maximum rates this is supposed to control Botrytis. However, I am not sure that offers any protection at this point in the season. We will be sorting at the bins again this year.
I will get out in the vineyard this week and take more samples. My last tour of the vineyard was Wednesday, September 28. Sugars were generally in the high 22 to low 23 range, but the acids were not well integrated. I am hoping the weather will clear late this week or early next and we can find a few dry windows of opportunity. The clusters are really looking forward to seeing you, and spending some time in a nice warm fermenter.
Ernie