VINEYARDS IN BLOOM
Even though we know and await this moment, it never ceases to amaze us. When the vineyards bloom, it connects us to the yearly, colorful reality of the land, our land.
As any reliable source will tell us, bloom is the moment in the vine's growth cycle when the flowers open. It follows the first inflorescences, which are preceded by budbreak. But it is so much more than that. It is a celebration, the act of witnessing an explosion of color that washes across the vineyard. Pure life that anticipates the fruit to come, which will give our wines their expressiveness and identity.
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View of the Fransola vineyard (a Familia Torres property) in bloom in the Penedès highlands
According to traditional winegrowing custom, the harvest follows one hundred days after flowering.
Climate change, however, threatens to bring this age-old estimate forward... But beyond the indescribable sight of such a beautiful event, flowering is extremely important from a pragmatic perspective since it will determine nothing less than the size of the harvest.
We, as humans, can make suggestions, but ultimately nature decides. After flowering, we can statistically evaluate how generous Mother Nature has been with us. We will know if our vineyard work has made the vines fertile, or if the number of clusters is well proportioned in terms of the level of ripeness we hope to achieve.
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Cabernet Sauvignon in bloom in the Mas La Plana vineyard (DO Penedès), a Familia Torres property.
Flowering usually lasts a week: Seven days that seem like years when spring frost or unexpected rains pose a threat to this fragile new life. Seven days of close attention and care. Seven days of keeping a constant eye on the sky.
The ochre and earth tones of winter give way to a spring explosion of life and color. An exuberant, natural, chromatic display that signals the end of a long dormancy, offering up the visual beauty and values of the Earth. And it is up to us to ensure the continuation of the grapevine's growth season, using our experience to care for and watch over a natural process that is older than our existence. We do so with the deepest respect for Mother Earth.