Ojai Reports Early Bud Break.

Ojai, Calif. -- The 2018 growing season got off to an early start in California's Ventura County. The Viognier at Ojai Alisal Vineyard broke bud Jan. 31, and in the midst of routine pruning Feb. 4, bud break also was discovered in the vineyard's Grenache Noir vines.

"This is a normal time of year for us to prune," said Bruce Chernof, a partner and operator of Ojai Alisal. "In colder winters, we don't usually see bud break until the first week of March--and even in warmer winters, it's usually the end of February before we see it. But this year, we saw swelling throughout the end of January."

A 20-acre property with 3 acres planted to Rhone varieties, Ojai Alisal is located about 2,500 feet above sea level, just above the town of Ojai. Its oldest blocks were planted in 2010, with a couple other blocks planted later.

"I would say, even from our warmest, earliest bud break, this is a good two to three weeks early," Chernof said, adding that he believed Ojai Alisal was the first to see bud break in Ventura County, though he knows of at least one other neighboring vineyard whose vines have reached bud break by now, as well.

According to Chernof, contributions to the early bud break include a lack of cold winter weather and possibly the effects of the Thomas Fire, which scorched land right up to the edges of the vineyard and was just listed as 100% contained Jan. 12.

"We usually get pretty cold nights, and we like the vines to harden off as much as possible in winter, to give them rest and help them grow stronger," he said. "It's not based on hard science, but we think the combination of warm weather and fire may have confused the vines. It gets cold up here, but the warmth of the fire may have warmed the temperature up."

Chernof said he typically sees flowering in his vineyard in May, although the early start to the season puts that date in question. "We do worry about frost, but we have never actually had a problem because of the specific microclimate: prevailing breezes and hill geography," he said.

Despite the irregularities of the current growing season, Chernof says his vines appear healthy. "We prune everything ourselves, and they seem really happy, budded-out and pretty well hardened off. You go to cut them, and they bleed just like they should. They're raring to go."

Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.

Caption: Grenache Noir vines leaf out at Ojai Alisal Vineyard in Ventura County in early February. The Thomas Fire came right up to the vineyard perimeter.