like George, we are grape farmers (“Journey to Harvest”), but I am also a winemaker (“…and Beyond”). (In 2005, the MacLeod Family began having some of their fruit made into wine, off premises under the MacLeod label, but George would be the first to tell you that he was not the maker of the wine.) What I hope to bring to this column is a chronological glimpse of what it is like for a small vineyard and winery operation to try and grow the best wine grapes for our location, to process those wine grapes into the best juice possible, to magically transform that juice into terrific wine, and then to market that wine successfully. For a small, family-owned and operated endeavor where we do it all, the process requires the wearing of many “hats” during the year… sometimes wearing more than one “hat” during each of those days of the year.
So, you say: “It’s the middle of winter and the grapevines are asleep! What could you possibly be doing right now?”
Late February and March, it’s time to put on my “Vineyard Hat.” This is the window of time that is devoted to pruning those dormant (yet seemingly out-of-control), willy-nilly grapevine canes in preparation for the upcoming growth period and harvest. (Harvesting our rose and white varieties usually starts at the beginning of September. We’ll harvest the reds toward the middle of October.) For the sake of space, we’ll talk about pruning those grapevines in the next issue.
March is also the time to switch “hats,” from my “Vineyard Hat” to my “Winemaker Hat.” On March 5 this year, we will take our 2020 rose, viognier, and chardonnay, and begin the extremely complicated process of putting those wines into glass bottles, inserting corks, spinning on foil capsules, and affixing labels to each bottle. The biggest challenge to making all the above happen on March 5. Working hard during many prior months in preparation for that day, to make sure 3/5/21 will be a success.
We’ll talk about bottling and those necessary bottling preparations in a subsequent issue.
So please raise a glass of fine Sonoma Valley wine tonight with Suzy and me, smell the lovely fragrances of our Valley in that glass, and think of all the efforts made by so many men and women (wearing many “hats”) that went into growing the grapes and making that wine in your glass.
Then just drink it!
“This one’s for you, George!”
The Link LonkMarch 01, 2021 at 03:00PM
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like George, we are grape …. – Kenwood Press News - kenwoodpress
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