From Our Vineyard
We harvested Frontenac today and now only have Steuben to harvest. The Steuben isn’t ready yet and we just have to wait for sugar and acid levels to reach our targets. In the meantime, we will start some post-harvest maintenance tasks like cleaning up the vineyard sheds, making repairs to the trellis, and spraying fungicide. […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
We are totally engaged in harvesting grapes. The Brianna was ready first, followed by Edelweiss, and then St. Pepin. These were all grapes for making white wines. Last week, we harvested our first red grape of the season, Sabrevois. This was followed by LaCrosse, another white, and then Marquette, a red. Finally, last weekend we […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
The vineyard crew collected grape samples and then tested the juice in the lab for titratable acidity, pH (strength of acid), and sugar. Generally, acids drop and sugar increases as we approach the time to harvest. We’d like to see acid below 10 grams per liter and would be quite happy at 8 grams per […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
Last week, we harvested Brianna from Newport Lane and Tassel Ridge. The hot weather helped to bring sugar up and acids down. Most important, the flavors were outstanding. The grapes from Newport Lane were hand harvested and those from Tassel Ridge were machine harvested. Lower temperatures (relatively speaking) have slowed the maturation of the grapes. […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
Harvest began on Tuesday, August 4 with about one ton of Brianna being picked by hand from Newport Lane Vineyard. The hot weather drove sugars up dramatically in the grapes in that one vineyard. Sugar in the other vineyards where Brianna is planted remained below our target zone and then the weather cooled on Thursday. […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
The vineyard team will spray fungicide at Maple Woods, Meadowcreek, and Newport Lane. In spite of the hot and dry weather, it is humid enough that fungus grows easily. Most of our sprays include appropriate insecticide in order to prevent critters from having our vines for lunch. We are hand watering newly planted vines as […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
The vineyard staff has been watching the well-established vines to make sure they are getting enough moisture. For the most part, they have well-established root systems so that irrigation is not necessary immediately. Younger vines that are 3–5 years old may not yet have fully established root systems and we are starting to irrigate them. […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
Veraison is that much-anticipated event each year when the red grapes start to change from milky green to red/purple and the white grapes change from a milky green to a translucent amber. All grapes become softer to the touch. The acid in the grapes starts to decline at this time also. Veraison tells us that […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
Our new leaf thinner handles both sides of a 500 foot row in about 3 minutes. The theory (which is as yet unproven) is that sunlight on the grapes will reduce the acid, develop the phenolics, and improve the flavor of the juice.
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
This is the time of the season that we produce our first harvest estimates. We need these estimates to plan “crush” and to make sure we have enough tank space, enough of the right types of yeast, etc. This is a multi-step process, but the following provides a quick overview. The first estimate was prepared […]
Category : From Our Vineyard &Newsletter Articles
