Like much of modern life, the ubiquitious smartphone is being used in all sorts of ways in winemaking. One of my favorite new abilities is to be able to see something interesting/worrying in the vineyard and instantly discuss it with my vineyard consultant using visuals. A bi-product of all these close up photos of the vine is the occasional shot worth sharing with people not thinking about nutrients and pest management. This is especially true during this time of year. The combination of new shoot growth and the spring flowering produces uniquely beautiful visuals.
Here is a close up the completion of flowering, the very earliest step of a grapes' life. Each of these tiny green balls will develop into Malbec grapes.
The delicate new shoots reaching up towards the sun produces beautiful lines that seem almost brush stokes on canvas.
Close inspection of the new growth unveils that the new leaves do not yet contain chlorophyl, which gives them an amazing white color. The contrast with the deep green of the mature leaves below can only be experienced this time of year.
