Last week, we pounded posts in the vineyard expansion at Maple Woods Vineyard. This week, work shifts to the vineyard expansion at Tassel Ridge Vineyard. We will be adding about 1.1 acres of vineyard. About 1/3 will contain more Brianna vines and 2/3 will have a new variety, Petite Pearl. Petite Pearl will make a dry red wine that we will try as a stand-alone varietal and also as a component in a dry wine blend.
The vineyard expansion at Maple Woods will be planted with more St. Pepin alternating with Brianna. We need more St. Pepin than we currently grow or can purchase, but it is pistillate, meaning that it has an imperfect flower that does not allow for self-pollination. So, we provide the pollen with Brianna, another variety that flowers at the same time. We plant Brianna in one row, then have two rows down-wind with St. Pepin, another row of Brianna, etc.
We have more Frontenac than we can use so we will remove the Frontenac vines from a part of the Newport Lane Vineyard and will replace them with Foch, a variety that we need more of.
All four vine varieties will be planted next spring.
