PASO ROBLES, Calif.– After practically 2 feet of rain in the previous 2 weeks, basic manager and partner of Tablas Creek Winery Jason Haas composed, “Let’s keep it coming.” He said this in spite of extreme rain and overruning creeks closing the winery on Monday and Tuesday.A series of
atmospheric river storms have mauled California with heavy rain and strong winds, flooding parts of California and even some wineries.The fantastic video shows water in sheets rushing off the saturated ground into Tablas Creek. The water level was so high that the creek ran a foot or more over the roadway to the winery’s entryway. Strong winds likewise blew down trees and branches, and mudslides all but covered the road that led to the winery.At completion of the video, the canyon walls
lining the road are just bare dirt. All the vegetation streamed into the roadway along with rocks and inches of soil. But Haas is happy.CALIFORNIA SCENES REVEALING DESTRUCTION FROM FLOODING, SINKHOLES
AMID BARRAGE OF ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS”After successive drought-reduced crops, I’m expecting a traditionally wet winter season,”composed Haas in the Tablas Creek blog.”Something that will renew our aquifers and reservoirs, delay bud break to a more regular timespan and set us up for a couple of years.”And Tablas Creek’s viticulturist, Jordan Lonborg stated,”These are great problems to have as far as I’m concerned.”
He states that irrigation ponds are complete, and the soil anchoring his grapes is filled and filtering the water for storage in deeper levels.The past 3 years were plagued with dry spell. Tablas Creek’s viticulturist, Jordan Lonborg said the last time he saw the ponds full was 2018.
Las Tablas Creek hasn’t flowed through the property since early 2019. And the nearby reservoir and lake are filling up but ready for more water. Haas said they are only at 13%and 38%of their capacities.The winery has actually currently seen and entire year of rain in simply the past months.HOW WEATHER CAN IMPACT WHITE WINE PRODUCTION” The impacts to this point have actually been basically all positive for us. We have actually currently exceeded our rains
for the winters of 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22, “Haas wrote.”With the extreme rain,
we received almost 6″in 24 hours, and the saturated soils, there have been issues with flooding, road closures and mudslides. At Tablas Creek, the vineyard and cellar have held up well.”
saturation,” continued Haas.
“By the time they do saturate, the winter season yards tend to be well-enough developed that disintegration is very little.”Even standing water can benefit the vinesm over the winter while they are dormant.File: Standing water in a vineyard in Napa Valley. “Standing water during inactivity can in fact be extremely helpful, especially in traditionally farmed vineyards,”stated Lonborg of the half of his grapes not dry-farmed. “The water can assist to seep salt residues from fertilizers deeper into or away from the soil profile. “A few of the few that do disagree with Tablas'”bring it on “attitude are the winery’s sheep that graze on the cover crop, plants between the rows. Tablas depends upon the flock for fertilization over the winter season. The winery can’t have the hooves compacting the soil, which occurs throughout really wet weather.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TELEVISION”Tablas looks terrific today. We were able to get our cover crops planted prior to the very first rains of the year so those roots systems have held the soil together perfectly, “stated Lonborg who inspects the vineyards for erosion.The Tablas Creek Winery currently saw double the quantity of rain they generally see by this time of year. Their water year runs from July to June. Thanks to the late-month storm, December 2022 supplied three times
the typical rains for the month. That is simply shy of their wettest December in Haas’ 20-plus years at the property.As of January 5, the hills saw practically an entire month’s worth of rain to start 2023 as seen on the graph.The green shows average rains monthly that Tablas Creek sees in a year that they determine from July to June. The purple shows the actual rain that fell throughout the 2022-23 rain year.NAPA VALLEY WINERY DESTROYING VINES TO GET AHEAD OF THE CHANGING CLIMATE Today’s atmospheric river pushed the yearly rainfall to 26 inches.But they still have half a year to go, and rain is very little for the location from April to October.
So although the vines already enjoyed more rain than the 24.98 “they see in a typical year, the rain needs to keep coming.”A couple of storms in February and March would be excellent to keep cover crops and percolation going,”Lonborg said.NAPA VALLEY 2020: THE LOST VINTAGE Wet soil also assists delay bud break which is the end of inactivity. Saturated soil tends to stay cooler longer.”
Frost is a major issue in much of Paso Robles. When you have bud break in late February or early March, the opportunities of frost damage significantly increase, “described Lonborg.
“The longer dormancy is delayed, the less days there are where frost is an issue. “Constant rains likewise raises the water level enabling roots to take advantage of the moisture and feeds the well. That conserves cash.Rain is falling
on Tablas Creek vines. the lighter brown growth on the darker trunks needs to be pruned. “The more it rains now, the less we irrigate later. Less pumping costs, less labor costs etc,”Lonborg stated
.”We have a well on the property that tends to dry up towards completion of the season, during dry years, when we need the water most.
That will not hold true this year.”Lonborg would appreciate a break from the rain however. He and his crew need to prune while the vines are dormant, however they can’t prune in the rain.”We avoid pruning previously, throughout and just after rain events at all expenses to prevent
the spread of trunk illness such as Eutypa,”he said. “Spore bodies pop throughout rain occasions and spread spores contaminating fresh pruning wounds on vines.”FOX Weather anticipates the next rainmaker on Thursday.