MARY STEINBACHER Photography Blog

In the spring of the year when overnight temperatures drop and there is the danger of frost in the vineyards I can hear the wine machines very early in the morning. Last week it happened three times and two times I was up and out the door shooting where I knew sprinklers would be on over the vineyards. Adjacent to where this photo was taken there were wind machine going, smudge pots smoking and sprinklers spraying to save the tiny buds that are now breaking on the vines.

Lots of soft rain early this morning.  My choice for shooting was the beautiful and very wet To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville.  As you can see from these Cabernet vines it was thoroughly wet but to me the water was like magic dust on the vines and leaves.

Grapes grow fast!  Look below and the small buds breaking through the heavy wood of the vines.  Twelve days later this photo of the vines with developing clusters.  Seemingly overnight the vines in the valley are turning into ribbons of green woven through the vineyards.  Wish you were here!

Georges III vineyard is in Rutherford in the Napa Valley and these Cabernet vines are just beginning bud break.  Beautiful little leaves against the deep dark color of the wet vines.

Two photos to share as Napa Valley begins bud break on the vines.  With the top photo and Cabernet vines there is just the slightest fuzzy buds breaking and lots of blooming mustard.

The second photo is a closeup of a Syrah vine with the small buds close to opening its leaves.  I’ll be back at this vineyard this week to shoot again.

There has been a lot of rain in March, actually 20 days so far, and it was the perfect time to shoot the beautiful drive up to Futo Wines in Oakville.  With trees, moss, soil and grasses saturated there was an increased depth to color in the forest; it was beautiful in the light rain.