Jr Films Paul Sloan of Small Vines

Jr films bud break with Paul Sloan of Small Vines

In Sonoma County, Paul and Kathryn Sloan have been practicing high density viticulture since the late 1990s. Thus, the name of their company, Small Vines.

Devoted to honing their ability to grow healthy, well balanced vineyards, they have studied the viticultural practices of some of the best vineyards in the world, and worked to translate those practices to the unique conditions of Sonoma.

In 2005, they launched their own label (also named Small Vines) selling Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay primarily from the Green Valley subzone of the Russian River Valley.

Walking a Small Vines vineyard with the pair has repeatedly proven to be one of the most fascinating, educative experiences I’ve had in my visits with producers.

I asked if they’d be willing to let me follow them through a full year in the vineyard and winery covering each major stage of a vintage. They agreed.

For the first stage, I asked Jr to accompany me to create her own interpretation of the visit. First filming Paul and I through the vineyard, she then interviewed him on her own to edit and produce the video below. (I’m pretty psyched with the work she did.)

Bud Break and Green Pruning

With an early vintage in 2015, bud break is well under way throughout Sonoma County. As a result, vignerons are starting to look to the next step, shoot thinning, also known as green pruning or suckering.

The process of shoot thinning proves to be one of the most crucial steps of the vintage. When done well, it establishes balanced vine growth, determining how many clusters the vine can support for the year, and setting up the vine’s production for the following vintage as well.

I’ll let Paul, via Jr’s video, explain the rest.

Here’s the direct link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pniINtYL9Qg

Please feel free to share the video with interested friends and family. Jr would also be thrilled to read your comments on it below.

For more on Small Vines: https://smallvines.com

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