Sunday, December 8, 2019

Our 2019 Harvest at a Glance

We are currently growing 6 different kinds of grapes, but that doesn't necessarily limit one to just 6 different kinds of wines. This year, we were able to harvest small amounts of Auxerrois, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Our sixth varietal is Barbera, which was too young this year to lay down any canes.
Here are the harvest numbers at a glance.
Variety Harvest Date Weight - Pounds Volume
of Juice
Brix pH TA
Auxerrois 9/23/2019 636 50 gallons 19.6 3.26 7.4 g/L
Chardonnay 9/28/2019 291 26 gallons 21.5 3.16 9.3 g/L
Chenin Blanc 10/14/2019 3930 280 gallons 21.6 3.06 13.5 g/L
Chenin Blanc 11/19/2019 50 3.5 gallons 25 3.52 11.2 g/L
Cabernet Franc 10/25/2019 377 30 gallons 23 3.32 11.3 g/L
Cabernet Sauvignon 11/3/2019 332 25 gallons 21 3.25 11.1 g/L

This year, we are attempting to make a very small amount of late harvest Chenin Blanc. For us, Chenin Blanc is a very versatile grape and we have made a pétillant naturel (pét nat) a type of sparkling wine in the ancient style where the lees are left in the bottle, as well as two types of still wines, a dry style and a Sussreserve style where unfermented juice from the current season is added back to the fermented wine.
Last year, we made a rosé from the Cabernet Sauvignon and this year, we are making a still wine from the grape.
With the exception of the late harvest Chenin Blanc, all the other wines have finished fermentation and are now in their "ageing" stage. This allows us to turn our attention to other tasks that we have left undone.

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