Grape Picking and Pressing

Grape Picking and Pressing

First grape picking of the vines here on our farm took place on the 17th of September. The variety picked was Chardonelle, a hybrid of an American native and the French Chardonnay. In past years the harvest from the vines was sold to Virginia wineries and has been blended into some award winning wine. Last year, though, there was not enough harvest to interest a winery, so I tried my hand at making wine myself.

During lunch break of the first day of picking this year, the first bottling of last year’s picking was sampled. It was agreed that we needed to continue work so as to get more bottles for next year, but not before we had another sip or two. Other tasting seems to confirm that the wine is quite drinkable, as well as very potent.

Friends and relations continued to help pick, squeeze and bottle the juice through the first week of October. I estimated last year’s total harvest at about 375 pounds and hoped that this year’s total would double that. The vines have surprised me. Not only was the weather good for the quantity of grapes, but also the vines were healthy and free of insects and most fungus. Harvest for 2008 through the first week of October was close to 1200 pounds. I left some grapes to try a ‘late harvest’ press. We’ll see how that goes.

The picking was the easier part. The hard part was the pressing to make juice. Last year I used a pot and strainer and did the work by hand. This year I purchased a small fruit press but we still did most of the work by hand. Currently there are over 50 gallons of juice in the basement in various stages of ferment.

In additional to the Chardonelle, a second variety, Traminette, was harvested. Some of the juice will be blended, others carboys will remain separate to taste which is preferred. As the vines continue a slow revitalization from years of disease and crown gall attack harvest should increase steadily, provided the weather is as near accommodating in future years as this past spring and summer. Right now there are 34 bottles of wine in the basement from the 2007 harvest. Next August, after bottling the 2008 picking, I’d expect close to 240 bottles.

If this sounds like an invitation, it is.