We have replanted 15 to 20 percent of the vineyard yearly. Of the 12 varieties, we will remove two, Muscat Blanc and Muller Thurgau, this coming spring and replace them with two clones of Shiraz. The Muscat Blanc and Muller Thurgau have been the most sensitive varieties to cold and have not produced any grapes. The most promising varieties are three white grapes and one red grape. They are Semillon, Chardonnay, White Riesling, and Lemberger, respectively.
Irrigation can have an important impact on grapevines in semi-arid regions.
This resulted in a total of 9 applications for the entire season resulting in an eighty percent reduction in water use from the previous year. Overall vine quality was improved with this watering schedule. We intend to pursue this type of irrigation regime in the following years. This water savings is extremely significant in arid Nevada. Thus, it would seem that this area may have its own unique set of conditions which favor varieties not previously predicted.