Like Don Quixote we charged ahead and had our vines shipped. They arrived from CA today. Three pallets with 96 boxes of potted vines weighing approximately 1 ton. 419 Viognier 642 on SO4 rootstock; 800 Chardonnay 96 on 16-16C.
They left on July 27th for what would be a long, hot journey by truck from Guillaume Grapevine Nursery in Knights Landing, CA, finally arriving here on August 5th. The baby vines did not enjoy the trip.
The Chardonnay fared better than the Viognier, but both have significant defoliation from heat stress. The nursery says I shouldn’t worry, but they’re French and tend to accept things under the blanket philosophy of c’est la vie.
As I water these poor things and swat away Spotted Lanternflies, I picture someone in a beret leisurely sipping wine and eating cheese under a shady tree. That could be me, but it’s not.