"It's been a dry year," said my skin, cuticles, and hair.
No, really. We're wayyy under average for rainfall in 2013, and fire season is off to an early start already. It's going to be interesting.
So how does less rain affect the vines? Jim Stollberg answered this question, and the response isn't what I was expecting:
After harvest, in the early parts of the year, the vines get more water to recharge and rejuvenate them after all the hard work they do producing those lovely little grapes. Without much rain this year, we watered with water from our wells. Apparently, while this is fine, well water is not nearly as clean as rainwater, and can result in more salt deposits than usual. Short term, this isn't a big deal, but if we were to be in a drought for, say, five years, it might become an issue.
See, rain helps dilute the salt in the soil, which is good, because if you get too much buildup, the vines can't absorb water and nutrients as easily.
So there you have it. We need more rain.
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