Calendar of Winegrape Phenology at CBV

Grapevines go through a particular sequence of growth stages on their way to harvest.  These stages are driven foremost, of course, by the varietal-specific genetic background, but they are also driven by the accumulation of heat units through the season.  The intervals between these stages are largely fixed, but micro-terroir can make small, but significant, changes that affect the timing and tightness of bloom, the rate of grape ripening, and the timing of harvest.  The botanically precise sequence of stages (phenology) for grape vines lists 47 stages.  The following calendar simplifies this list to the stages of budburst, initiation of bloom, fruit set, véraison (the beginning berry coloring), harvest, and leaf fall.  Photographs of interesting intermediate stages may also be shown.