All of us at Peju see the vines on a daily basis and watch them change - now you can too! We have selected a vine, named him Vinnie, and are going to photograph it weekly. If you visit us at the winery you can stop and see Vinnie in person.

Vinnie finally had his day. Vinnie's grapes were picked this week along with the rest of the HB Cab block of the Peju vineyard. Vinnie's fruit is now going to be joining all of the other grapes in the tank to be blended into delicious Peju wine. Nature has done its part and now it is up to the wine maker and the cellar crew to take Vinnie to the next level.

Napa is a buzz as Harvest continues; trucks transport grapes and busses transport visitors into and around the Valley. While many of the Peju grapes are brought in for the crush, Vinnie watches and waits. The winemaker is anticipating that in just a few weeks Vinnie's grapes will be ready for picking. It won't be long now!

This week was very exciting for Vinnie and all of the vines on the Rutherford property. After months of hard work and meticulous record keeping the Rutherford vines received Organic Certification from the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farming) and USDA certification. Way to go Peju!

The crush has begun and Vinnie watches as other grapes from the vineyard are picked and begin the crush process. There is much activity on the crush pad as trucks with bins full of white grapes begin to unload fruit. Presses used for the white grapes are also being positioned that will separate the juice from the seeds, stems and skins. The excitement in the valley is just beginning!

This week samples were taken from the Virgo block where Vinnie lives. The grapes are tested to determine the level of brix, acidity and Ph. They also test the pips (seed) color level. When all of Vinnie’s levels are in balance he will be picked but the current readings have determined that Vinnie's grapes will remain on the vine. Stay tuned!

Vinnie's grapes continue to mature and the sugar level continues to rise. Soon samples will be taken from Vinnie to determine the level of the sugar development.

Although harvest has begun for some of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes at Peju, Vinnie and the Cab grapes continue to wait their turn. As Vinnie's grapes remain on the vine the sugar content continues to rise. We will just have to be patient and wait for Vinnie's harvest.

Veraison is nearly complete; Vinnie and all of the vines at Peju are eagerly awaiting harvest. Harvest is expected to come early this year because of the early spring and the lack of rain. The weather throughout the growth season has been good contributing to a very promising 2007 harvest. At this point in time we will just have to wait for the winemaker to give the ok to begin harvest of Vinnie's Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

As veraison continues, the development of Vinnie's grapes transition from growth to ripening. Through this process the accumulation of sugars (brix) in the grapes is accelerated and as the sugar levels rise, acid levels drop. Vinnie's fruit is maturing and will continue to do so up until harvest.

The time has finally come and Vinnie's grapes are slowly beginning to change from green to deep purple. Throughout the vineyards some grape clusters are already changed while others, like Vinnie, still remain mostly green. This veraison process will be complete in about two weeks and all of Vinnie's grapes will be the color of wine.

The thickness of Vinnie's branches or canes determines how many grape clusters he can sustain. Thicker canes can support two clusters and thinner canes are best with just one. Through this process clusters higher up on the cane are removed leaving those closest to the main branch. Too many grapes could result in underdeveloped fruit lacking in sugar or brix. By removing extra grape clusters, a vine like Vinnie can focus all of its energy on fewer grapes for optimum fruit production.

This week Vinnie is in the pre-veraison phase. His grapes continue to grow and increase in size but they remain green in color. During this time Vinnie requires little maintenance as he is left to develop and mature.

Leaf coverage is an issue again this week. As Vinnie grows it is important to maintain just the right amount of coverage for the grapes. More hand-leafing is taking place to make sure Vinnie's grapes aren't over shaded or over exposed and risking sunburn.

Each week Vinnie's grapes are doubling in size, this doubling will continue from now until harvest. Vinnie continues to grow and flourish as the weather maintains a gradual warming trend.

As the weather continues to warm in the Napa Valley, the amount of leaf coverage becomes critical. Too many leaves and vines like Vinnie risk mildew, too few leaves and the fruit could get burned by the sun. This week hand-leafing is taking place to prevent over shading and maintain good ventilation for the developing grapes.

This week Vinnie will be trimmed and hedged, although it won't be quite to the extent of our signature sycamores along the front entrance. In the vineyard this process controls the size of the canopy which includes the shoots, leaves and fruit clusters. The trimming process balances the vine to produce the best fruit possible.

Very full clusters of tiny grapes are beginning to form. The weather has been favorable with a cool spring gradually warming into summer. So far Mother Nature is providing Vinnie and all the Peju fans with exactly what they need.

Now we have to just watch and wait. This is blooming time for Vinnie. So far the weather has been good, but if it gets too hot Vinnie will want to shed some of his precious flowers which will result in less fruit production. At this point Vinnie's fate and the quantity of 2007 Rutherford reserve is up to Mother Nature.

This week a stem from one of Vinnie's leaves was collected as part of a petiole sample. This stem, along with about 60 others from the Rutherford Reserve vineyard block, will make up the petiole sample. The sample will be sent in for a complete analysis to check nutrient levels, like potassium and nitrogen, which provide food to the vines. The results will dictate what Vinnie and the other vines need for optimum fruit production.

Vinnie gets a trim as sucker shoots are removed during the suckering process. By clipping off these scattered shoots, Vinnie can focus his energy where it counts, in grape production!

The growth stage is in full bloom! Vinnie the vine is becoming quite bushy as new leaves and flowers are sprouting like crazy.

The temperature in the Napa Valley is continuing to rise and more new shoots are beginning to emerge from the vines. Flowering has begun and in time these flowers will become bunches of grapes. From first cap fall to fruit set, the whole flowering process can take as little as a week or as long as a month, depending on the weather. We will have to wait and see what the weather will have in store for Vinnie...

Spring is a warm awakening for a vine as it marks the end of its dormant period. The warming temperatures entice sap to ascend upward through the vine creating new cells and buds and downward promoting root growth. Buds on the vine begin to swell and eventually burst as tiny green shoots become visible. This period is known as bud break and the 2007 buds at Peju are starting to make their first appearance.