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October, 2020

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

The spirit of Royce will always be part of us.

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Royce Lewellen and Louis Lucas in 2008 at the winery

April, 2020

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

Spring is almost here. We finished pruning the vines by the middle of last month just in time for the March miracle of seven inches of rain.

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Louis Lucas standing at Valley View Vineyard

February, 2020

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

 It is already February and all of the Italian variety vines have been pruned except Nebbiolo. We prune the Nebbiolo last because it breaks bud and comes out early and is very susceptible to frost. Late pruning delays the bud push. 

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An image of Dirtman Louis Lucas giving a grapevine pruning lesson at Valley View Vineyard

October, 2019

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

It is harvest time. We are about 3 or 4 weeks into the harvest. So far, everything has been going well with just a few bumps.

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An image of the beloved dog of winemaker Megan McGrath Gates at harvest time with grape bin

October, 2018

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

Harvest is in full swing. We have picked about 1/3 of the crop and we are running late calendar-wise. 

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October, 2017

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

We are nearly 75% of the way through harvest. So far, we’ve only had an inch of rain, two heat waves, two fires, and a near frost. Thankfully, the weather was good before and after each of those events so, believe it or not, everything is looking good in the vineyard.

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A photo of Louis Lucas

August, 2017

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

It’s now the middle of summer. We are experiencing a couple of warm sultry days reaching near 100°F. The grapes are progressing a little bit faster than we expected

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Louis Lucas at a picnic

April, 2017

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

Yesterday I was driving around the vineyards - spring has sprung. Pinot Grigio and Nebbiolo vines have at least 6-8 inches of growth already and the rest of the varieties are not far behind. We had a wet winter and with spring comes wind, sun, and a remote chance of frost. A few nights ago, I had a 34.6°F reading in a couple of our vineyards.

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Louis and Royce at Valley View Vineyard

February, 2017

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

Having farmer mentality, I would like to start with the weather report. The saying “When it rains, it pours!” describes winter so far. We have already reached thirteen inches of rain, which is our yearly average for most of our vineyards. Our vines are in good position with plenty of water in the soil, which means we won’t have to irrigate until June and we will be finished by late July.

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Louis Lucas pruning in the vineyard

October, 2015

Toccata - A Little Bit of Dust from the Dirtman

I love baseball. I played catcher in school and my idol was the late Yogi Berra, whose famous saying was “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” And our 2015 crop is over!

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Who says farming is hard?

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OPEN FOR WINE SALES AND MEMBER PICK-UPS ONLY

Lucas & Lewellen: ph 805-686-9336

Toccata: ph 805-686-5506

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