Golden light, gnarly hands and trunks
Photo subject #1: Markus Niggli, old vine viticulture
Historic, own-rooted, old vine Carignan, growing in sandy loam on south side of Mokelumne River-Lodi appellation.
#carignan #ownrooted #oldvines #historicvineyard #markuswine #lodiwine #lodiwinecountry #randycaparosophotography
Early report and favorite photographs of the start of the 2024 Lodi harvest
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Old vine Carignan harvest in Lodi' s Mokelumne River AVA, September 2, 2024.
For most of Lodi's smaller, handcraft wineries, the 2024 wine grape harvest began in mid-August. The pace of the picking of old vine blocks, which are generally lower yielding than younger trellised vineyards, picked up during the last week of August and first week of September.
A big question for much of the industry has been how much of an impact 2024's extraordinary heat waves, which began in June, will have on grape quality and yield. One initial impression shared by Markus Wine Co. owner/grower/winemaker Markus Niggli⏤who began picking his Nicolini Ranch Carignan (oldest vines planted in the 1930s) on September 2, and Rous Vineyard (Zinfandel planted in 1909) on September 5⏤was the following: The heat waves have had negligible impact...
Classic, ancient, own-rooted head trained Mokelumne River-Lodi Carignan, where spurs have grown longer than the hollowed trunk; Historic Vineyard Society-certified Church Block.
#historicvine #historicvineyardsociety #ancientvine #oldvine #ownrooted #carignan #lodiwine #lodiwinecountry #randycaparosophotography #markuswine
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