From the Fields: Stuart Mast, ​​​​​​​Calaveras County vintner

By Stuart Mast
Calaveras County vintner

We’re just about 10 days into bud break. We’re getting some rain on the vines, but that’s not hurting them as long as we don’t get a freeze. That’s what we worry about this time of year. In all the years I’ve been growing grapes, there’s only been one year—2022—that I had to turn it into the insurance company because of a freeze. 

Usually in March, a crew prunes back the growth from the previous year and does some vine training and tying. In late April, the new growth starts coming out of the buds on the vines. That’s what bud break is—the new growth coming out of the buds. 

Our biggest enemy in the vineyard is powdery mildew. We aren’t certified organic, but we’ve always farmed organically, and that limits what products you can use. Mostly what we’re using is sulfur. We spray the vines beginning now and as often as at least every 21 days. We’ll be spraying the vineyard with sulfur to keep mildew at bay. 

If we get wildfire smoke, that diminishes the quality of the crop. The smoke absorbs into the skins of the fruit. We just had a local event with all the participating wineries in the Murphys area. It’s called Spring Wine Weekend. That kicks things off for us. 

The fortunate thing about our location is we are surrounded by second homeowners. This year, we’re doing better than ever, which is really good news. We don’t depend on a lot of outside sales. Most of our sales are through the tasting room and during events, so we’re in a good position here. We also have campsites on the property and music events. We’re gearing up for the concert series. There are a lot of little details that have to be in place to put on the concerts, and that’s what we’re concentrating on right now.

In this edition…

• View full issue
• Groundwater law begins reshaping valley
• Warm, dry start of spring sparks fire season concerns
• Cultivate the future through agricultural education
• Recognize signs of distress and when help is needed
• From the Fields: Jeff Colombini, San Joaquin County cherry and apple grower
• From the Fields: Stuart Mast, Calaveras County vintner
• From the Fields: Loren Poncia, Marin County rancher
• From the Fields: Ron Macedo, Stanislaus County agritourism operator
• Hot temps, new varieties boost strawberry volumes
• Young farmers talk policies during Capitol advocacy visit
• Drought, water restrictions drive innovation in tech
• USDA announces $9 million for cling peach tree removal
• Advocacy in Action: Farm Bureau tracks labor bills, applauds Farm Bill House passage