Budbreak
A vine’s first visible sign of growth is budbreak. This really is a cause for celebration! After months without leaves, a bare-looking vineyard transforms into a sea of green specks in just a few days.
Tiny buds, no bigger than a fingernail, emerge from the plant. They start to swell and shoots begin to grow.
This is when the real fireworks begin! These shoots sprout tiny leaves that begin to photosynthesize, giving the plant a massive amount of energy that it harnesses to grow as much as 1 inch (or 3cm) a day.
Budbreak came late this year. We had a cold start to Spring which meant the buds hid away for an extra week or two. The red varietals we planted are now budding in full force – rejoice around the world!
