Barreca Vineyards

Barreca Vineyards

From Vine to Wine since 1986

Buds, Birds and Bugs

Spring finally came in a flash. The same day that I took the bird feeder down since there are plenty of bugs for the chickadees and other local birds the

At the NE Washington Farmers Market in Colville

hummingbirds came back and wanted their feeder put up. Instead of building a morning fire to warm up the house we are charging the electric mower to try and keep up with the grass that is already 3 or 4 feet high in places. Work is piling up since we are spending Wednesdays and Saturdays at the NE Washington Farmers Market. The Spring

Fresh Asparagus and Morel Mushrooms

menu is a welcome change. We have picked morel mushrooms 3 times, once right in our own Vineyard.

Asparagus is up and pretty much over in our garden but there is still some at the market. We have rhubarb pie in the refrigerator and fresh greens of all kinds . The early yellow flowers , dandelion , daffodils, balsam root and forsythia are gone as are most of the flowering trees but iris, lupine and other wild flowers are out. The vineyard has been pruned but with all the water in the ground the vines are pushing out much more growth than I want to have going. Here are a couple of pictures of a vine before and after shoot thinning. By the time I have visited all the vines once I will need to do it all over again. They are growing at several inches a day but have not flowered

Grape Vine before shoot thinning

Grape Vine after shoot thinning

yet though you can see the grape clusters ready to go. Really, managing the vineyard is pleasant work. The birds, including eagles , geese, crows, owls, Robins and lots of small birds are loudest in the morning when I am out there. Eventually trucks and traffic get loud. But by then breakfast is on or over and the office work begins. It has changed and ramped up with spring too. People want more maps especially for tourists but regular trucking and emergency services want maps too. Since we are moving wine steadily out of the cellar at the Market there is a lot more bottling to do. All of which somewhat

Grape rows early May

Grape Rows Late June

explains why I am writing a blog on this tablet while in Seattle. But more about Seattle next month.

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