Veraison!

The Merlot have hit veraison.  I hadn't been able to get up to section A for a few days because of the rain and when I went up to spray last night, I found them all turning colors!  The Cab F. are just showing signs of starting to turn as well. 

I checked with Heather to make sure it was good to spray still, and we opted to go with Abound again but without the sulphur so as to keep any unpleasantness out of the wine.  So I sprayed abound only, refilling the tank one time with an additional 8 gallons.

12 ounces for 24 gallons

 4 ounces for an additional 8 gallons



This morning, I started putting up the bale netting in A.  It think it's going to work out okay, though I'm still trying to figure out the best way to have it up and still be able to do some canopy management for a while longer.  I think I'm going to affix it to the top on both sides of each row for now, lettting the bottom hang loose. That will let me lift it up and do work underneath.  Then, when the birds/animals become a threat, it will be a simple matter to seal the bottom together.