Springtime In The Vineyard

First signs of bud break came a month ago on the thinner vines, which are sending forth shoots with baby grapes attached, framed below by purple lavender in full bloom. The California Lilac has come and gone. The baby bunnies have come and gone. Apricot blossoms have come and gone, but have left behind the beginnings of sweet fruit. The pin cushon proteas are sprouting yellow. Front yard roses are casting off full blooms. The first sharpshooter on a vine adjacent to our neighbor's citrus grove is spotted. With hoe in hand we fight a loosing battle against a hundred thousand foxtails taking shape. Birds make nest in the eves of the house as we wish for a majestic owl to make his home in the special box provided . Bluey rests under a fecund lemon tree. While we sleep under cotton sheets, gophers work through the night constructing a super highway of byzantine tunnels under ground. It's springtime in the vineyard.

San Diego Winery Ordinance Back On Track?

A couple of weeks ago, a small group of Ramona, CA residents opposed to San Diego County's back country becoming another Napa Valley succeeded in throwing up a roadblock by proposing that a full environmental impact statement be completed before the proposal be brought to the County Commissioners for a final yes vote. The vote had been scheduled for the end of March, but with an EIS looming, the vote appeared to be delayed for weeks, if not months and years at significant public expense. This request for the full EIS came very late in the game, and was quite a surprise to supporters who have painstakingly been working with the county government for years to assist in the drafting of a sound measure.

Carolyn Harris of the Ramona Vineyard Association reports the following breaking news:

"Today the San Diego County Planning Commission considered the DPLU's [Department of Land Use] newest recommendation to (1) require an administrative use permit for all boutique wineries to make direct sales, while (2) an environmental impact report is prepared. After an extended discussion and some excellent presentations by RVVA [Ramona Valley Vineyard Association] members, Eric Larson of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, and Carol Fowler of the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, the Planning Commission voted4-3 in favor of rejecting the new recommendations and instead agreeing to forward to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors the same draft of the ordinance that they approved on 7 March 2008.The consensus of the Planning Commission (including Ramona's Bryan Woods, appointed by Supervisor Dianne Jacob) was that none of the opposition's arguments against the 17 Jan 08 revised mitigated negative declaration rose to the level that should trigger an EIR (that the proposed project will have a significant effect on the environment). The Planning Commission appeared unanimous in wanting to do what they could to move the ordinance forward as quickly and safely as possible.The action that was taken today does not insure that we are back on track, or that the major reversal of 20 March has been entirely reversed again. What it does mean is that we have a lot of support for our measure and that the Planning Commission is not afraid to stand up for us. We appreciate their support." -- Carolyn Harris, Ramona Valley Winery Association & Ramona Valley Vineyard Association Secretary and General Counsel.

The proposal makes sense for San Diego for several reasons, including:

1) Promotes the rural character of the county, encouraging agricultural use of the land with a low water usage, drought resistant crop (grapes). This will become particularly important in the future if current weather patterns continue and politics reduce water deliveries to Southern California.

2) It's difficult to make much money as a low volume grape grower in San Diego county. The money is to made (or at least most of the costs covered) by the value-added activity of producing and selling wine.

3) The ordinance would allow small, boutique wineries to legally sell the fruit of their labor (wine)to the general public, without obtaining a major land use permit (which requires much time and expense for a small grower/producer).

4) The ordinance promotes the growing and use of locally grown grapes. (I can attest to that ourselves, when we purchased 100% of our grapes from San Diego in 2007; whereas in past years we have purchased from Riverside County and Mexico).

Friends, free the grapes! Allow the good people of San Diego the benefit of living in a land dotted with boutique wineries. If this ordinance is passed, then it will be possible for you, too, to purchase Bluey's finest wine from the Blue-Merle Vineyard. If you live in San Diego County and have a favorable opinion about this, please let your elected County Official know.

(Picture shown is vineyard planted in April, 2008 in Fallbrook, CA.)

(Editor's note: The San Diego Winery Ordinance was passed the week of April 24th. See our journal entry for April 27th for additional information.)

Air Combat Against the Gophers: Installing The Owl Box

We selected the highest spot on the property, with a view of the vineyard below and snow capped mountains beyond, for "Hoot", the nickname the princess gave to our future pet, the barn owl.

Al Gore and I invented the LCD computer projector (1991).

Al Gore and I invented the earphone-mic for cellular phones (1997).

And now, "Owl" Gore and I have come up with a way to reduce the use of pesticides in the environment, by installing boxes for barn owls in the vineyard (2008).

"Lord, good Lord, send us an owl... Lord, oh Lord, send us an owl..." The gophers have been attacking and taunting us on several fronts, keeping me from seeing the movie "Caddie Shack."

Patrick Burke of Escondido, CA can sell you a pre-fabricated owl house for $49 -- folks, the materials alone would probably cost you that much. Call him at (760) 746-8454.

Gentle readers, you know by now that I have no ability whatsoever as a farmer or as a grower, so you will be pleased to know that for the first time in my life I'm really proud of myself: I was able to figure out a way to put that owl box 16' into the air all by myself, by nailing together two 8' left over end-posts (normally used for the vineyard trellis system). I nailed the box to the top of the pole, and the Princess helped me hoist it into position. Yes, mom, the box is still standing.

We are now waiting for THE OWL. The Princess calls him "Hoot." I may end up calling him Godot. Either way, he is Owl [gore the gophers!].

The Dangers of Drinking Beer

(Editor's Note: My good friend Jon M. sent me this warning. Be sure and click the link to the informational video at the end. Thank goodness wine drinkers don't have this problem!)

Police are warning all men who frequent clubs, parties and local pubs to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink from any woman. Many females use a date rape drug on the market called 'Beer.' The drug is found in liquid form and is available anywhere. It comes in bottles, cans, or from taps and in large 'kegs'. Beer is used by female sexual predators at parties and bars to persuade their male victims to go home and sleep with them. A woman needs only to get a guy to consume a few units of Beer and then simply ask him home for no strings attached sex. Men are rendered helpless against this approach. After several beers, men will often succumb to the desires to sleep with horrific looking women to whom they would never normally be attracted. After drinking beer, men awake with only hazy memories of exactly what happened to them the night before , often with just a vague feeling that 'something bad' occurred. At other times these unfortunate men are swindled out of their life's savings in a familiar scam known as 'a relationship.' In extreme cases, the female may even be shrewd enough to entrap the unsuspecting male into a longer term form of servitude and punishment referred to as 'marriage.' Men are much more susceptible to this scam after beer is administered and sex is offered by the predatory females. Please, forward this warning to every male you know! If you fall victim to this 'Beer' scam and the women administering it, there are male support groups where you can discuss the details of your shocking encounter with similarly victimized men. For the support group nearest you, just look up Taverns in the phone book.

For a video to see how exactly how beer works click here: Beer Demo

Good Friday Down On The Farm

Our friend Greg, Quality Control Manager at the Burrell School Vineyard & Winery in the mountains above Santa Cruz, CA, sent us 3 bottles as part of a wine swap arrangement. I told him the weather forecast was for a Pinot Noir Easter at the Blue-Merle, thanks to his gift. Life is short, and not knowing if Thursday's supper would be our last, we opened the 2005 Estate which I describe as: "Pinot with an attitude." He told us to try the 2004, which was a little smoother -- and I must confess that with 4 ounces left -- which happened to be in my wife's glass -- when she stepped out of the room for a moment she came back to find her glass empty and mine half-full. After making a hint of a compliant, I was obliged to share the remainder with her. The 2004 was smoother, and I describe it as "Pinot with mojo." The proof: I caught a gopher, and Bluey caught a rabbit. This is very serious mojo, as the odds of both impossibilities happening the same day can only be attributed to the wine. Bluey brought the rabbit (actually, a tiny, baby bunny) to me as a gift. I took the bunny in gloved hands and walked up the hill to prepare for the 2nd burial of the morning (concealing the R in my hands to spare the Queen and the awakening Princess from the horror). The bunny was still breathing, so I prepared a bed of hay in an empty flower pot -- just in case he might survive (I didn't suspect Bluey attacked or bit the bunny -- he was probably just trying to play, like a good papa dog rollicking with his little pup). The rabbit started hopping around, so now I planned its release. I hadn't touched him with my bare hands, but he had been covered in Bluey's saliva, so I wondered if his mom would take him back. I walked down to the house and announced to the ladies that the Easter Bunny had arrived -- we all agreed on a release strategy, and I placed the flower pot adjacent to the rabbits' den by the house. Bluey and I went back to the hill and whacked weeds for an hour. We just inspected the flower pot. Empty. No bunny. A good sign. Now we'll see if his mom takes him back. The story of this little Peter Rabbit to be continued.

The day is still young. I've found a perfect place to plant the owl box. The plan is to attach two wooden trellis end posts to make a 16' pole. We'll see if that works. The other major event planned for today is to carry the cross from the bottom of the hill to the top.

Installing Grow Tubes: Protect Your Vines From Rabbits & Other Chewy Critters

I came home from work and toured the top of the hill where we planted 30+ Aglianico vines six days ago, and noticed wooden stakes had been driven next to each baby plant and the obnoxious pink grow tubes were neatly in place. For the 2nd time in a week I was tempted to say "this is the first time in my life that I've been really proud of my wife." I was amazed at the transformation that had taken place while at the daytime job. (And reuse of the wooden stakes we used to stake-out the vineyard was economical, as we had run out of the thin metal stakes used to support the young vines.)

I went into the shed to pull out the weedwacker to hack away at some foxtails before dark and I was startled to see a baby r-a-b-b-i-t in the corner. I can't say the "R" word because if I do, Bluey will immediately shift gears into "sheep herding mode", come to full attention, and search everywhere for the "R." I wondered how in hell did the R get inside the shed? I poked around, found a hole in the side, and what appeared to be a den. Wouldn't surprise me to find it occupied by a rattlesnake in a week or so. I was wearing gloves, so picked up the baby "R", put him in a plastic pot, threw in a generous amount of hay and laid the pot down on its side next to the shed (where I noticed a hole going underground).

The "Rs" I don't mind so much; the grow tubes do a good job protecting the vines. (Suggestion: don't remove the tubes during the first year, no matter how ugly they are!) It's the gophers who are a problem -- the word sounds like "tappas" in Mexican, and I'm thinking I'd like to make a meal out of the gophers, who are making "tappas" out of our vines. Just got a call 5 minutes ago from Pat Burke, The Owl Man of San Diego, and he's got an owl box all wrapped up for me, which I'll pick up in the morning. We are choosing the "Owl" Gore method of rodent control, to save the environment by cuting down on the use of poisons. Stay tuned.

Improved Technique for Installing Trellis Cross Arms

The days it was taking to install cross arms on the metal posts and to string wire were turning into weeks, with costs rising faster than the price of gas and gold. The 2nd planting of the vineyard was over budget. I'm tempted to say "it's the first time in my married life I have really been proud of my wife" as the Queen discovered an improved technique for installing cross arms that saved time, saved money and made the job so easy, she fired the workers and did it herself! Damn, is she good! She's filing a patent on this invention, so if you'd like to follow her step-by-step instructions, send your royalty check payable to the "The Blue Merle" (we'll use it to fund continuing education of the workers, so we can hire them back).

In essence, here's what she does:

1) First, attach the screws, washers and fasteners to the cross-arm. Note: You do this first, which you can do inside while watching the candidates debate on CNN in the evening (another time saver)

2) Then you slip the cross arm over the top of the stake (not an easy thing to do when you're barely 5' tall and the top of the stake is 8' above the ground).

3) Then just tighten up the screws, and you're good to go. (No, she didn't use the electric powered screw driver that the workers were so proud of, which somehow took them hours to do what she was able to do in minutes).

Another Cliff Hanger At The Vineyard

Driving through the vineyard at 1,600 ft. above the sea, the road buckled under the right rear tire sending the rented pickup truck on an uncontrolled descent towards the vineyard floor. With a silent "this is it" (rhyming with "oh sh?X!") exhaled with my last breath, the vehicle miraculously came to a halt one inch from a pole that stood more threatening than the sword of Damocles . Just another "cliff hanger" at the Blue Merle Vineyard.

Will we be able to extract the new rental car without damage to the vehicle?

Will Kevin, the local tractor wizard, come to the rescue?

Just how much does a salvage company charge by the hour?

Could one of the poles in the vineyard be used as leverage with a pulley to pull the car off of the pole?

Should we just cut down the two poles that are in the way and drive out?

Just how effective is the American Express Card insurance plan when you rent a car and you decline the expensive rental car company's insurance?

Just how "Forrest Gumpish" is the proprietor of the Blue-Merle Vineyard to drive on a dirt road the evening after a rain shower?

Y'all come back now, to find out what happens next.

(PS: Short update on Vineyard, Phase II: The trellis system is in. The drip lines are in. We've got gophers and weeds to deal with. We'll use an auger to start digging the holes this weekend. Nova Vines is shipping out the vines next week. We'll plant those babies in 9 more days. We were able to up the shipment to 235 vines, including an extra 25 Tempranillo, bringing the total to 1,085 spread on two acres. We also finished pruning the first year vines. More about that later. The gophers are attacking. Need to get an owl. Just warmed up this week; the snakes must be thawing out, so need to keep an eye on them. Bluey's paw getting better -- seems to be non-cancerous. He must have pricked it on a bougainvillea while digging. So, despite driving the truck off of a cliff, dealing with a leaky pipe that left us without water for a couple of days, vet bills, plumber bills, towing bills, rental car damage bills, college tuition, property taxes, tanking stocks, higher fuel costs, lower wages, more inflation, doctor bills, dentist bills and that darned squirrel that keeps picking the best of the avocados, life among the vines is pretty good!

"The silence of the vines distills a wife's song into sweet wine." -- A philosopher at the Blue-Merle

"The Vines don't talk back." -- Fidel, owner, Fidel's Vineyard Service.

Jan 24th: A Day To Remember

It was the best of times.
It was the worst of times.
We racked Petite Verdot wine into a new French barrel, finishing the task before midnight, but Bluey was lame and could only look, hopping along on 3-paws.
Today is our 20th wedding anniversary;
We have been married for 20 years.
It's raining.
A rainbow opened up at our doorstep.
Perhaps this marriage is blessed.
And it appears Bluey is healing.

Time to go out and bang some stakes in the ground while the earth is moist.

New Year: New Vineyard

The New Year is underway and so is our work installing a new trellis system, Phase II of the Blue-Merle Vineyard Master Plan. What better time to catalog this work step-by-step for those of you considering planting your own vineyard this year. We've decided to increase our plantings of Grenache, Aglianico and Petite Sirah, and to fill in some significant gaps in the vineyard landscape. We will be planting an additional 190 vines, bringing out total to well over 1,000 vines. Many of our rows are wide (16 ft.) -- which means we could increase the density of our plantings. But let's face it. This is supposed to be a hobby, not a profession. This will be enough. At least until next year.

Here's a check list for those of you wanting to get started. Like most things in life, there are more than 100 ways to skin this cat. So don't take my words as a must-do manual; this is what worked for us. (Be sure and share with us what worked for you!)

Develop a master landscape plan for your property.

Design your vineyard, either making a sketch by hand, or using a computer program such as SmartDraw. Remember, "vineyard is art." Keep this motto in mind as you design and install the vineyard. Follow the contour of the land. (At first, I had a notion that rows were supposed to be North - South. That would have been a mistake on our hillside, so we followed the land.) Read books on the topic, such as Vineyard Simple and from Vines to Wine.

Consult with a local vineyard expert as necessary and as desired. Decide how much of the work you want to do yourself, and how much assistance you require. In the San Diego area, there are consultants who will implement your vision for you. The going rate is approximately $40/vine, including the trellis system, irrigation, vines and planting. (Of course the final cost will depend on terrain -- and how many unexpected obstacles confront you -- such as a humongous 3,000 lbs. rock directly under a spot where you want to dig a post hole!) Another good reason for consulting with an expert is you may need help down the road maintaining the vineyard (mildew control, Pierce's Disease prevention, etc. -- hey, I never said this was going to be easy, but, you can do it.)

Prepare your land. Are you able to plow or till your land? Do you need to add any nutrients? (As we are on a steep hillside, there was little we could do in this regard.)

Stake out your vineyard design, using stakes, string and measuring tape. The string really helps you visualize the location of rows, and the spacing. (Also use the string to line up your end posts when you get to that step).

Ready to get started? If you're ready, and you'll be hiring labor, you'll save yourself a bunch of money by having everything staged and organized in advance. So plan, and have everything ready:

Dig your post holes. For digging, your choices are by hand with a post digger, with a handheld auger (which rent for about $50/day at Home Depot) or the auger of a professional drill (such as that provided by a BobCat). Note: You would be smart to start digging at the "cornerstone" to set the first post. Then, go to the end of your planned rows, and set that post. With those two posts set, use string to define the line by which to perfectly line up your other posts. As you will be looking at your vineyard everyday, the time spent in lining up your rows correctly is well worth it! We used 10 ft. poles when we installed over 30 rows last year. This year we purchased some smaller 8ft poles for some of the short rows we're installing. Believe me, the 8ft poles are a lot easier to work with and to carry around! (Discuss with your consultant what poles are appropriate for you.) The depth of your holes will depend on your poles and your digging method. When we used the BobCat auger, we went about 4 ft. deep. When digging by hand, we try to go at least 3 ft. At a minimum, we went 2.5 deep in some places. Remember to angle the hole, so the post will be at an angle (and be able to accommodate more weight and tension when the wires are tightened).

Set the posts. There are a number of different ways to do this. One is to insert the post, then maybe add back some dirt, compacting it (with a "compactor"). Use a level, to make sure the post is "straight." If you "eyeball" it, I guarantee you will be redoing some posts. Once "level" (straight) add cement. I prefer to mix the cement in a wheel barrow -- then add it. We found that 2 @ 60 lbs. bags for each post was right for us. Others might only use one bag and refill the rest of the hole with dirt then compact it. Another technique would be to pour dry cement down the hole, then add water, and stir (but like I said, I prefer whenever possible to do the mixing first in the wheelbarrow, then pour). After setting the post, you may make a "brace" to keep it in place. After the concrete is dry, the post should be extremely stiff, and not budge when you push it at all. (When setting a few posts over the Christmas holiday, I tried to take a short cut and see if I could get away with a hole 2 ft. deep and one bag of concrete. This was a total failure, and we had to redo those three posts the next day.)

7) Align the posts. Use string.

This is a good place to take a rest. In the next post, we'll talk about irrigation, installing the drip system, and stringing and tightening the wire. Click here if you want to see highlights how we installed the vineyard at the Blue Merle last year.

(February 28, 2008) -- The trellis system is in. The drip lines are in. We've got gophers and weeds to deal with. We'll use an auger to start digging the holes this weekend. Nova Vines is shipping the vines out next week. We'll plant those babies in 9 more days. We were able to up the shipment to 235 vines, including an extra 25 Tempranillo, bringing the total to 1,085. We also finished pruning the first year vines. More about that later. The gophers are attacking. Need to get an owl. Just warmed up this week; the snakes must be thawing out, so need to keep an eye on them. Bluey's paw getting better -- seems to be non cancerous. He must have pricked it on a bougainvillea while digging.