Now that soil temperatures are starting to rise after a dormant Winter, the vines are beginning the process of waking up. Starches are converting to sugars and osmosis moves this sap up the trunk of the vine. While this isn’t yet required as nutrients for the shoots, leaves and grapes, it is pushed to the newly pruned branches where it drips off as a teardrop from the cuts left by pruning. We call this 'the weeping of the vines'.

This is the first sign that the vines are coming back to life after their winter rest. Far from representing sadness, these tears indicate that Budburst is imminent, with this sap soon providing energy for the vine’s new shoots and buds. As one of the most exciting and hopeful times in the winemaker's calendar, we can't wait to see these buds appear, and begin the exciting lead-up to our next harvest.