Tag Archive for: baby grape

April 2015 in the Vineyard

look at these Mommy!

look at these Mommy!

Me and my helper, #wineryboy are keeping a close eye on the grapes as they develop this spring.  We have received plenty of rain, so the vines are growing like crazy.  The grapes are just tiny little balls, preparing to bloom.  In another week or two, they will be tiny blossoms. Domesticated grapes self-pollinate, so if the bees are on vacation, no big deal.  This is not true for wild mustang grapes which have a male and a female plant which have to be nearby for pollination to happen.

The biggest salvo that Mother Nature can throw at me right now is in the form of mildew.  I refer constantly to the chart at winegrapes.tamu.edu to keep up-to-date with a good fungicide program.  The next biggest threat is springtime hail.  There is nothing we can do for that, so we hold our breath and gulp our wine when the skies get dark.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t3CU_iG8yoM/VTMi1LzyAoI/AAAAAAAB7ps/wsAV7IhtDX8/s144-c-o/2015-04-18_22.20.38.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/102153593012294996679/20150422?authkey=Vp9eqZr2kn0#6139289014134506114″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”2015-04-18_22.20.38.jpg” ]

Diamond Back 2012

Diamond BackTime to bottle more wine!   Throughout May 2014, we expect to be bottling every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.  We will be bottling the Diamond Back from 2012 & 2013.  This is made from 100% blend of grapes from our vineyard on Hill Road.  Our Salado grown cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sangiovese.  These grapes were picked in 2012, right after Baby Grape was born! In 2013 the grapes were picked late in August and during Labor Day weekend.  In 2013, the grapes were a bit watery, while the 2012 grapes were much more concentrated, so we blended the two vintages together to make a better balanced wine.  We’ve been selling this blend since January 2014, and we’ve got so much, I lowered the price to $19.95/bottle. This wine is featured on our daily tasting menu and is our best-selling dry, red wine.

13 month old winemaker in Salado

youngest winemaker ever

youngest winemaker ever tries to work the pump

We recently caught up with Dino, winemaker extra-ordinaire, busy at work during winemaking season at Salado Winery.  Transcript:

Reporter:  We understand this is your second winemaking season.  Do you find yourself more involved as the seasons pass?

Dino: uh, duh

Reporter:  we understand that in addition to winemaking you find yourself helping mom with her computer?

Dino: (smiles like he knows there is far more to running a business)

Reporter:  and you often serve as vineyard manager?

Dino: (he gets excited and makes motorboat noises)

Reporter:  I understand sometimes grapegrowing is hard?

Dino: (motorboat noises continue, then he points to the barrels)

Reporter:  Well there we have it folks, an expert grape picker, world traveler and winemaker speaking to us from Salado Winery Company