Apple blossom time, cement floors, Spring planting and career day at Bra

17 Aprile

The granny smith tree and the redbuds are in bloom as we suffer through another rainy period, just enough to make work in the vineyard miserable.  Yesterday, I tried stripping off the buds from the trunks of the vines, but after a row each of Merlot, Pecorino, Cabernet Franc and Incrocio Bruni, I figured I was about a week to soon as many of the buds have not yet exited enough to merit the work.  We have been passing the time instead with lawn work and new plantings, from bulbs to daisies to spruce up the place for this year's guests.
The winery construction, luckily, has not been derailed by the damp weather and the "earthquake-proof" sunken concrete shafts are all placed and the beginnings of a floor are visible.
Tomorow, we are off to Bra to talk with the students at UNISG on career day and will take them some of our olive oil (not sure I want them to suffer with our wine from stomped grapes).  I will be spending the
5 and a half hour drive thinking about what I can tell them which might be helpful.  On a sad note, we heard the master's program is coming to an end (the great year I spent in 2006-07).
The pictures are of apple & red bud blooms, the construction and Raffaele preparing his anti-mosquito zone with citronella plants.

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