Spring Milestone: Bud Swell at Todhunter Vineyards

Spring is making its presence known here at Todhunter Vineyards, and the vines are responding with one of the most exciting early milestones in the growing season—bud swell. Several of our grape varieties have entered this stage, and our Marechal Foch vines are just days away from bud break, the moment when tiny green shoots begin to emerge. It's a subtle transformation, but one that signals the beginning of the vintage year.

Early bud swell on a Marechal Foch vine – just days before bud break.

If you walk through the vineyard today, you'll see tightly packed buds beginning to enlarge and soften, taking on a plump, rounded shape as they prepare to push open. This phase, known as bud swell, is the vine’s way of waking up from its winter dormancy. As the soil warms and daylight hours increase, energy stored in the vine’s roots begins to rise up, fueling new growth.

Why It Matters

For vineyards, bud swell and bud break are more than just a pretty sight—they’re a critical turning point. From this stage forward, the vine becomes increasingly vulnerable to spring frosts, and vineyard managers must be vigilant. At the same time, it marks the countdown to a new season of canopy growth, flowering, fruit set, and eventually, harvest. Each variety behaves a little differently. Marechal Foch, an early ripening hybrid, tends to be one of the first to break bud—making it an early season sentinel for everything that follows.

Follow Our Journey

At Todhunter Vineyards, we mark these moments with care and celebration. Each bud represents a potential set of grape clusters, and every stage of growth helps shape the wine that’s to come. In our case, since this is only Year 2, we'll be removing the flower clusters when they emerge; these babies need one more year to put all their energy into the roots. But next year, we'll let some grapes develop and make some wine!

We invite you to follow along with our progress this season. Watch the vineyard awaken, see the grapes develop, and eventually join us for the harvest and the wines that result. You can keep up with us on our Facebook page and explore more about our vineyard at www.todhuntervineyards.com.

Here’s to a green season ahead!

—The Todhunter Vineyards Team