Springing Forward

Warmer weather is on the way

By MICHELE FRANCISCO, OWP Editor

I find the wet, sunless days of winter more challenging the longer I call Portland home. Vitamin D lessens my seasonal affect disorder but never cures it. My wanderlust for warmer temperatures and sunshine intensifies as the months go by. Anticipating this urge, I’ve starting planning trips to tropical locations. I suppose that’s when one can call herself an Oregonian?

Today, I write from the balcony of our rental overlooking the Caribbean Sea, on the small island of Isla Mujeres, off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. The crashing ocean waves and warm sea breezes, combined with the vibrant turquoise and green hues of the water, replenish my well-being like nothing else can. Sure, we’ve suffered our fair share of sunburns and sore muscles from riding beach cruisers. However, as the aches subside, joy remains.

The host of a podcast I listen to frequently shares the exact hours and minutes of light where he lives on the day he records each episode. He offers this information in a hopeful manner, encouraging listeners to appreciate what we have now, not simply what the future holds. His positivity feels contagious. I pass along a similar, uplifting message.

By the time you read this letter, Portland will experience over a dozen hours of daylight. (March 1 had exactly 12 hours, eight minutes and three seconds.) As the days grow longer and warmer, we’re not the only ones experiencing the change. Grapevines perceive it, too. Soon, the sap will begin running in the plants, as the vines awake from dormancy.

After a winter hibernation, you’ll encounter more activity as wineries transition from “cellar season,” and begin preparing the first wines from the previous harvest for bottling. Tasting rooms across Oregon will celebrate the warmer weather by releasing these new white and rosé wines. I look forward to sipping the 2022 vintage.

Congratulations on surviving another winter. As the days lengthen, spring is an exciting time– in both the vineyard and winery. I hope you, too, enjoy it.

Michele Francisco spent her childhood reading and writing, eventually graduating from UCLA with an English degree. She attended graphic design school and began a career in design and marketing. After moving to Oregon in 2010, Michele studied wine at Chemeketa Community College and began Winerabble, a Northwest-focused wine blog. She has been a cheerleader for Oregon wine since her arrival.