Back to Balance Advising

Ground covers have been 90% amazing and 10% irritating. I was so happy to keep my soil covered and cooler during these recent 100 degree temperatures. 3309 rootstock vines are performing significantly better than 101-14 rootstocks. I am also on year 3 at my oldest site Rpund Peak Vineyards, which means the vines have already begun the process of growing deeper roots to adapt to the changing surface conditions.

In 2023, Buckley Vineyards decided to stop spraying herbicides in the vineyard. 🌱

It was a HUGE decision because labor is about 90% more, and honestly, we didn’t have a plan other than knowing we didn’t want to use herbicides anymore.

Today, we have blocks of beautiful white clover that look like a perfect cloud under the vines. We have blocks with wildflowers a foot taller than the vines and invasive weeds that make us go crazy. Then we have blocks covered in mulch where we’re aiming to create a mycorrhiza resort — where we struggle most with disease. The idea is ~a battle of the fungi~ 🍄

It’s not perfect, but it’s better.

Better for the workers, better for the pollinators, and better for the people drinking our wine.

Stay tuned every Tuesday for vineyard updates and our journey to growing better grapes for you and the future of north ga grape growing and wine making. 🍷🦋

With hope,
Ashley (Head Winegrower)