Farming in a Winter Wonderland

Winter is upon us! We’ve gotten a lot of snow this year, which means that right now, the vineyard is white and beautiful. It’s been good to pull out the snow shoes and the dogs love it. We are thankful that with so much precipitation, there will be plentiful water for the growing season.

We are also grateful for the spectacular site that DuBrul Vineyard is planted on. Rocky hillsides are the perfect situation with winter snow. You want the right amount of water in the soil in the spring, when vines are growing quickly. With all the rocks in DuBrul, the snowmelt won’t stick around for long. The vines will pick up some of this moisture, but not too much. The rest will flow as groundwater down the valley.

The other advantage to being high on the hill is that cold air, like water, flows downhill. Extreme cold temperatures can harm the buds that hold the next season’s growth. Low spots hold the cold air longer, putting the vines at greater risk for cold damage. DuBrul is high on the hill. There are no spots where cold air is trapped, there is good air drainage to keep everything moving.

So many important details of the vineyard are encapsulated in the location, playing into the importance of terroir. While the word literally means soil, it’s not just the soil profile and geologic makeup that matter, but also the aspect, elevation, air drainage, and microclimate. Great terroir grows consistently great fruit. In Washington, higher elevation vineyards mean rockier soils, better air drainage, and protection from winter frost. These things all play into the consistent high quality wines that DuBrul Vineyard is known for.