Late May and early June is the time of la vigne en fleur, the vines flowering.

While the grape flowers do have a bit of fragrance and just a touch of color, they are not a dramatic flower. But the flowering presents a crucial time to the vintner.

This is a time for spraying against mildew and a search of the soil for nitrogen. Calm weather is hoped for so that rough winds do “not shake the darling buds of May” or more seriously the “busting out” of June flowers.

In this video we return to the Creekbend Vineyards of Oliver Winery so Bernie Parker can tell us the significance of vine flowering and why this is such a critical time for the wines.

Be sure to watch the video at top right featuring Dr. Allen Dale 'Ole' Olson and Bernie Parker, vineyard manager for Oliver Winery, Bloomington, IN »