A MOMENT WITH MELISSA – SEPTEMBER 2026

It’s hard to believe that summer has flown by, and we are now sitting a few weeks into the beginning of the smallest, and oddest, harvest we have ever experienced. But before we get to that, let’s back up to the summer and remind ourselves how the last few months have progressed.  

Although there was heat this summer, we had quite a bit of rain during numerous scattered thunderstorms (about 30” recorded in the Chardonnay vineyard). The benefit is that MD’s drought rating has been reduced from “severe” to “moderate”, and even “abnormally dry” in some spots. In most years, we’d all be worried about the rain as grapes prefer heat and dry weather resulting in a decent amount of stress. With MD’s humid summers, the rain not only contributes to increased disease pressure from yeasts and bacteria but also dilutes the flavors in the grape since the berry will absorb excess moisture. In wine, we are always prioritizing a balance between quality (smaller, more flavorful berries), and quantity to ensure there is enough wine to go around. Needless to say, we prefer no rain from June to November.  

But the rain’s impact this year is different. Due to the freeze in April, our vines sustained significant damage, and we have almost no crop. Instead of worrying about rot, disease, and flavor dilution, we saw our crop barren vineyard thrive as the plants rebounded growing strong and resilient leaves and canopies, showing us that they are ready for a fruitful harvest next year. Our second-year plants at our new vineyard site are healthy and ready for fruit next year. After a visit to our vineyard in August, Dave McIntyre – the former wine columnist of the Washington Post – wrote two thought provoking articles on Substack about the innovative grape varieties we are experimenting with in this block. And we are excited to welcome folks back to our annual vineyard preview event, Between the Rows, on October 4th.