CLEAR LAKE — Creamy Traminette grapes glistened in sun Thursday morning on the final day of harvest.
The white fruit — which makes Indiana’s signature wine — was part of a stellar crop this year at Ron and Kay Kummer’s Clear Lake vineyard, Knob Hill. The Kummers also grow purple Steuben grapes.
Satek Winery winemaker Shane Christ said the Kummers are Satek’s “flagship growers.” Satek’s crew harvested 6 tons of grapes at Knob Hill.
It was a great year for all area growers due to the dry, hot summer.
Bruce England, who grows Traminette grapes for Satek at Big Run Vineyards near Butler, said it was his best year ever. Big Run was established in 2006.
“I finished the year with 2 tons of very pretty 22.5 brix Traminette,” said England. Brix is a measure of the sugar content of the grape.
Good fruit
Harvest began in mid-September and wrapped up last week.
Six growers from across the region provide grapes to Satek. They all do a great job, said Christ, and the crops have benefited from an arid season. It was welcome after a disappointing, rainy 2019.
“The quality is so high,” Christ said. “We’ve had a dry, hot, long summer.”
With less moisture, grapes are less prone to disease, said Christ, the sugars are more concentrated and “the flavors are just better.”
More sunshine, consistent weather and a longer fall ripening period produce wines that possess fuller body and flavors, says a May 1, 2018 article in Wine Enthusiast.
“Grapes ripen faster and accumulate more sugars, which result in higher alcohol levels during fermentation,” says the article, written by Lauren Mowery. “Also, grapes grown in hotter climates tend to have thicker skins, which contribute more tannin.” Tannin adds flavor and a drier quality to wine.
Year-round hobby
The past couple of weeks’ pleasant fall weather have made harvest time as ideal as the growing season, said Christ.
While the Satek crew only spends a couple of weeks at Knob Hill in the fall, the Kummers tend the vines year round.
“It’s a passion,” said Christ.
The Kummers established their Steuben vines in 2007 and the Traminette in 2008. They started producing grapes in 2009.
“This is about all I do except play golf,” said Ron.
The Kummers’ vineyard is exceptional, said Christ, carefully trimmed with a manicured lawn, creating a pastoral setting that has been a backdrop for wedding photos and leisurely neighborhood walks.
“We like it. It’s a lot of work,” said Kay. “I enjoy it.”
Pruning starts in the spring, as early as February. It is more than an economic and aesthetic venture, Ron said, it is a way to stay active.
“I’ll come out here and prune rather than lie on the couch,” he said. “My doctor says don’t ever give up your vineyard. It keeps you healthy.”
In the summer through harvest season, the Kummers prune the leafy side vines, keeping them tidy and conducive to good growth.
“I go for quality over quantity,” said Kay.
Christ extolled the short, healthy vines carefully trained around rows of taut wire between thick wooden poles at Knob Hill. Grape growers strive for fewer grapes to accentuate ripening. Less leaves on the vines is also desirable so the fruit gets more sun exposure.
“It’s that vine balance you’re looking for ... more is not always better,” Christ said.
Augmenting nature
Just being out in the fresh air and sunshine is pleasant, said Kay, who also tends a large garden, currently burgeoning with big, orange pumpkins.
Raised on a farm in Wood County, Ohio, Kay’s love of grapes can be traced to her great-grandmother, who tended vineyards at Kelleys Island, Lake Erie.
Their oldest son lives in Burlington, Vermont — wine country.
“It sort of revived my thinking,” said Kay. The Kummers wanted to preserve the land around their home as a natural setting. After talking to Satek Winery owner Larry Satek and people at Stoney Ridge Winery in Bryan, Ohio, they purchased 2 1/2 acres of a former corn field and planted the Steuben grapes.
“We just wanted to have this property be productive,” said Kay.
The Kummers have been married 50 years. The vineyard added dimension to the lives of the couple, who remain at Clear Lake year round.
They’ve hung bluebird and wren houses, though owl statues and giant yellow and red balls are hung throughout the vineyard to deter snacking birds.
Deer emerge from the woods and enjoy a grape or two, Kay said. Recently, she has delighted in a doe with twin fawns.
On one occasion, said Ron, “a great big coyote was trotting west to east. He stopped and stared at me. I stopped and stared at him.”
With its many extra benefits — from its touches of northeastern Indiana nature to its year-round pleasurable labor — Knob Hill produced the gift of fruitfulness this year, which will be passed on to Satek wine drinkers.
September 29, 2020 at 11:00AM
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It was a grape year for Satek Winery - KPCnews.com
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