Never Trust A July Sky

   My chief winegrowing takeaway, year after year, is that no matter how much we plan, we never know what weather is coming. As the 2026 season has progressed beyond the frost damage, we’ve experienced a positive turn. May and June have been notably dry and sunny – 15% drier and two degrees warmer than average since May 1st. Most of the dryness arrived in June, during flowering, when we needed it most.

   As we enter mid-summer, vine development shifts internally. Newly-formed berries (more plentiful than expected due to productive flowering) expand quickly, growing from “buckshot” to “pea” to “marble” size in a few weeks. To accomplish this, the vine bestows a lot of energy into cell division. Simultaneously, it becomes “self-sustaining,” no longer relying on stored carbohydrates from the previous season. The new leaves are now energy sources for cluster and canopy growth. Thus, we need full, healthy canopies. Our team is tucking shoots, clipping wires, and hedging to maximize sun exposure. It has been a pleasant early summer, which we’ll look back on fondly as we enter the sweltering July.

   County-wide, the results from the April frost are mixed: some sites are hanging larger crops than anticipated while others have no fruit. The difference is elevation and the timing of bud break. Lower, wetter sites fared the worst, with damaged cordons and, in some cases, trunks, which is a long-term problem and a possible highlight of poor site selection. The worst vines will need replanting. A general melancholy has sunk in amongst most growers. Many are halfway through a marathon that promises to yield nothing.

   Walsh Family Wine is lucky to farm high-elevation sites like Hickory Wind, Russ Mountain, and Bethany Ridge, which mostly avoided damage. Fruit set has been outstanding, particularly in Albariño, Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Franc, all of which are currently hanging some of the best crops we’ve seen in years. We’re pleased to see that Sauvignon Rytos, damaged by the frost, has pushed mostly fruitful secondaries and will yield a moderate crop.

   The really hard work – keeping canopies and clusters healthy through the unpredictable July weather – is still ahead of us. But it has been a nice respite to see full, healthy clusters hanging after fruit set.