Today is the last “hurricane pick” day. We will be bringing in some, but not all of the Hardscrabble old vine Chardonnay. Frankly, I would like it to be a bit riper, but one section of the block has some bunch rot that could explode if we get the forecasted 3 or 4 days of lingering rain later this week.
Read MoreThis is the crush mode that I remember from the not so ‘good old days’. Its been physically and mentally challenging. We have so many lots of wines in fermenters, that I have to use different colors of labeling tape to ID lots, otherwise we get too confused as to what is where.
Read MoreWe had a good crush day yesterday. Very pleased with the juice quality, especially Avenius Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. It rained off and on all day...
Read MoreNow it feels like harvest. The cooler is being filled with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. I was too tired to make a decent dinner, but still managed to enjoy a glass of 2014 Grand Cru Chablis for information and inspiration.
Read MoreToday marks the beginning of the big push. Cool, wet weather has slowed ripening, so it has been a week since we last picked. Today we start with young vine Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Read MoreVintage 2017 is starting with a bit of anxiety. While picking has started, it has now stopped as we are still waiting for a bit more ripening of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. They are very very close, but if we picked now, the wines would be a bit green with unbalanced acidity.
Read MoreRainy day. Not what we want, but at least we feel confident about pulling the trigger on yesterday’s pick. Looks like some hard decisions coming up as we play the cat and mouse game with alternating rain chances and sunny days.
Read MoreEver leave the house for a trip and have that feeling that you forgot something?
Read MoreIt has started. The “worries” give a growing season its official beginning. Vine buds are still as tight as a drum, but sap has been flowing and temperatures for the next few nights are predicted to be in the teens.
Read MorePruning is a winegrower’s favorite job. Especially on warm, sunny days. A small vineyardist has an intimate relationship with each vineyard block and in some ways, with each vine.
Read MoreDecades ago, a certain intellectual curiosity led me to Virginia to grow winegrapes. That curiosity has not waned. Initial plantings in the 1980s and 1990s where established with great enthusiasm, but without much knowledge or experience. I am now very familiar and even intimate with the soils and slopes on this small farm.
Read MoreThis first week of the New Year, as is our custom, we started blending trials for the 2016 Reds. We have some great material to work with as the ripeness and quality of the grapes was the best in recent memory.
Read MorePossibly unique to the winegrowing trade is the time honored site visit. This is where one winery operation visits another with the intention of sharing information, walking the vineyards and tasting the wines.
Read MoreJonathan and I just spread 24 tons of chicken litter on land that will eventually become Cabernet Sauvignon. Perhaps not one of the more romantic aspects of vine growing...
Read MoreReflecting our respect for the seasons, we are now in rest mode with a self imposed ban on doing anything of importance.
Read MoreWe’re pulling out. But don’t worry. Although I’ve always been intrigued by Nova Scotia viticulture, I’m not moving to Canada. We’re pulling out vines. Quite a lot of vines.
Read MoreEven after all these years (this was vintage 37 for me), I remain a bit stunned as to how quickly all the frenetic activity of crush comes to a halt. The cellar seems to have an echo. No more bubbling or humming of a fan, a heater, or a chilling system.
Read MoreNot quite done, but the cellar feels cavernous now as most of the red fermentation bins have been drained and the wines rest in barrels. The empty bins have been thoroughly washed and sent back to storage in the barn loft. Room to move never felt so luxurious.
Read MoreThe fog of crush is lifting, so there is time for a bit of reflection on the harvest and the potential nature of the wines from vintage 2016. At this phase it is difficult to objectively evaluate the wines, however we have a good general sense of what we can expect.
Read MorePetit Verdot is an obscure grape variety that came to us from Bordeaux. In Bordeaux it has historically played a very minor role in left bank blends.
Read More