The Year in a Virginia Vineyard – Part 2: Summer in the Vineyard

Welcome back to The Year in a Virginia Vineyard, our six-part exploration of the vine’s journey through the seasons.

In Part 1: Spring in the Vineyard, we watched the year begin with delicate budbreak and the vigilant fight against frost. Now, we move into the heart of the growing season: summer.

If spring is about protecting possibility, summer is about guiding potential. The vineyard is a living jungle this time of year, with vines eager to grow skyward, their energy fueled by warm sunshine and long days. The job of the viticulturist is to channel this vigor, keeping nature in balance while steering the fruit toward quality.

Managing the Canopy: Taming the Jungle

By June, vineyard rows resemble green tunnels. Grapevines are naturally vigorous plants, and left unchecked, they would sprawl into chaos. Enter canopy management — the art and science of taming shoots and leaves so that clusters receive just the right amount of sunlight and airflow.

Too much foliage, and humidity lingers, inviting mildew and rot. Too little, and berries can sunburn or ripen unevenly. Virginia’s summer humidity makes this balance especially critical. Crews pull leaves strategically around clusters, open up the canopy for air circulation, and tuck shoots neatly into trellis wires. It’s like sculpting — each adjustment influences ripening, acidity, and ultimately, flavor.

The Humidity Challenge

Virginia summers aren’t just warm — they’re wet. Afternoon thunderstorms roll off the Blue Ridge, drenching vineyards and creating the perfect environment for fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, downy mildew, and black rot.

Viticulturists rely on an integrated approach:

• Preventative sprays (often sulfur or organic alternatives) are applied before infections can take hold.
   
• Canopy thinning keeps clusters dry by letting breezes flow through.
   
• Monitoring systems track leaf wetness and humidity, guiding treatment schedules.
   

This isn’t about eliminating risk — that’s impossible in Virginia’s climate — but about staying one step ahead. Every season tests a grower’s adaptability, and those who succeed have learned to dance with humidity instead of fighting it.

Veraison: The Turning Point

By mid-to-late summer, something magical happens: veraison. This is when berries transition from hard and green to soft and colored — purple for reds like Cabernet Franc, deep gold for Petit Manseng, and blushing pink for certain hybrids.

Veraison marks the shift from growth to ripening. Sugars begin to accumulate, acids gradually soften, and flavors develop complexity. Not all berries ripen at once, though. Some clusters may need to be thinned, ensuring the vine concentrates its energy on fewer, higher-quality grapes. It’s a bit ruthless — cutting away fruit you’ve nurtured all season — but it’s necessary for excellence.

Wildlife and Vineyard Visitors

Of course, humans aren’t the only ones eager for grapes. Birds, deer, and even black bears know a good snack when they see one. As veraison progresses, netting often goes up, draping rows like protective curtains. Some vineyards use reflective tape, noise cannons, or even falcons to deter feathered thieves.

In a way, these critters remind us of something fundamental: grapes are delicious, long before they ever become wine. Protecting them ensures there’s something left for us humans to ferment and enjoy.

Soil and Water: Sustaining the Roots

Below ground, summer is about balance, too. Irrigation may be used sparingly — just enough to prevent drought stress but not so much that vines grow lazy and dilute their fruit. Virginia soils vary dramatically, from Shenandoah Valley limestone to Tidewater sands, and each holds water differently.

Cover crops sown in spring now play their part, keeping erosion in check after storms and helping regulate soil moisture. The vineyard floor hums with insect life, a sign of healthy biodiversity that supports the vines.

The Mood of Summer

If spring is anxious, summer is intense. Vineyard crews work tirelessly, walking rows, trimming, scouting, and monitoring weather. It’s physical, sweaty, sunburn-prone labor, but it’s also deeply rewarding. With every shoot tucked and every cluster exposed just so, the future of the vintage takes clearer shape.

Summer also carries a sense of mounting anticipation. You can see it in the softening berries, taste it in the first sample of ripening Petit Verdot, and feel it in the urgency of vineyard managers who know harvest isn’t far away.

Looking Ahead

As summer wanes and veraison completes, the vineyard enters a new chapter — the countdown to harvest. Sugar levels rise, flavors deepen, and every weather forecast becomes more dramatic than the last. Will a September hurricane crash the party? Will the fruit reach perfect ripeness before the rains come?

Join me next time for Part 3: Harvest Season in the Vineyard, when Virginia’s growers put everything on the line, racing against time and weather to bring in the year’s crop at peak perfection. It’s the vineyard’s most exhilarating — and nerve-wracking — moment.