Eddie looking at the new section of the vineyard, pre-planting 2014

It really is great to see spring finally upon us. The weather is still a little hit-or-miss, but short sleeves are not out of the question now. Since my last posting, we had our perfect pairings – A Farm to Table Dinner at Addison Farms Vineyard. Chef Corey Marino from Catering by Corey really hit a home-run with the food. She created five dishes that were, well, perfect pairings with the current crop of Addison Farms Vineyard wines. If you missed the March event, stay tuned for the next one, likely coming in late summer.

Planting the Petit Verdot, 12 April 2014

On Saturday 12 April 2014, we planted an additional 600 vines. We actually added 500 ‘new’ vines, and backfilled 100 failed vines. With this year’s planting, our little vineyard has grown to right at 5 acres. We can’t say thank you enough to all of the folks that joined us yesterday to help get vines in the ground: the good folks from French Broad Vignerons [Pete, Dave, Natalie and Tony, Michelle and Daniel, George, and Georgia Tech David]; Susan, who had visited the tasting room recently, and who has just moved to the area from Dallas, TX; Kristen, who has helped with just about every operation, and her friend and neighbor Jenn; Sharon, Christy, Dan, Mark and Ben, the Raleigh branch of Addison Farms; Laura; Jerry, Doug, Eddie, Maleada, and Dianne. The last two groups have been here nearly every time we have planted vines, and they do great work. Planting is hard work, but with a group like this, it has a strong element of social activity combined with getting it done. We have great friends, family, and neighbors who help make this big stuff happen. If I left you off the list, please forgive me – it is not an intentional oversight, just a feeble mind recalling the day’s events!

Jerry and Jeff, adding Petite Manseng, 12 April 2014

The surest sign of spring is the pollen. That harbinger of greenery to come, the yellow coating on all surfaces, the sneezing… While it is always a little tougher to breathe when the pollen starts to build, this is still my favorite time of year. This is the time of renewal, rebirth, optimism for the season to come. As I walked through the yard this afternoon, I took a close look at the maple trees Addison planted when they bought this piece of property. They are starting to break bud, with the first signs of leaves unfurling. And speaking of breaking bud, we will start to see the first signs of bud break in the vineyard in the next few days. The buds on the Petite Manseng are starting to swell and get a little fuzzy, and they will break shortly. The Sangiovese will be right behind the Petite Manseng, followed by the Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and finally by the Montepulciano. It is the most exciting and nerve-wracking part of the season!