Spring is a time of pruned branches, revived soil and a stillness in the vineyards which alert us that fruits for the next harvest season is about to come. January and February are known as cold winter, especially in the world of wine, when vines rest from their labor of the past years. This is a time for “cleaning house” and pruning to ensure that leaves and fruits grow robust for the next harvest.
Once the sleepy month of February comes and goes, we slowly get the timid hints of Spring and one of its first signs is a simple droplet of sap which makes its way through the “veins” of the vine.
This fascinating phenomenon is known as “crying vines”. The droplet which gushes from vessels of the plant marks the beginning of vegetative activity, signaling fertility. Spring and the month of March slowly bring back life to what can sometimes appear as an arid stretch of land. It is not easy to identify the exact date of this phenomenon, given that it depends on the actual soil, vines, climate conditions and of course terroir. But in general, this phase begins around mid-March from the 17thto the 20th, just before the calendar equinox.
Once the vines “cry”, it is a clear signal that Spring season has arrived and that in just one more month the first hints of budding plants will appear. Temperatures must remain at above 50°F for these buds to arrive, and if weather drops below this, we sadly lose our initial buds.
