Tag Archive for: chardonnay

When is Harvest 2014

merlot & chard from our Salado vineyard

merlot and chard from our Salado vineyard

I am getting anxious for harvest!  The yeast is on order and I am ready to start soon, but when!?!

Tested Chardonnay yesterday and got pH 3.45, Brix 19.5, tastes like a pink lady apple!

So here goes the tentative plan…

I’m expecting activities to kick off on Saturday, August 2nd.

Right now I’m expecting Belle Crest to harvest tempranillo on Saturday, August 2.  I would like to test their grapes again on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon, July 26 or 27th to verify that they have been ripening as projected.  Right now the 10 day forecast has a significant chance of rain for Friday, August 1st.  This could be a bad thing because the grapes tend to soak up the water quickly.  Last year it rained 48 hours prior to picking our merlot and I was very disappointed as the resulting wine was too watery.  So this may throw a monkey wrench in the plan, or the 10 day forecast could be wrong (but I sure would welcome the cooler temps).  Journey Vineyards will bring their grapes as well for processing, so I must remember to keep them informed.

I am likely to also pick the chardonnay in our vineyard the same time, August 2nd.  I am torn because the flavors are getting to where I want, but the Brix isn’t quite there.  So they could easily hang a little longer than that.  If we get rain, I will definitely push that harvest to during the week.

On Saturday, August 9th we’re expecting Belle Crest to harvest malbec.  We may harvest our merlot as well.  The malbec will be the biggest amount coming at one time, so we may push the merlot off so that we don’t have too much to process.  I want to process the chardonnay and have it out of the way prior to the malbec arriving.

The cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese still have a while to go in my vineyard, so maybe the 16th or 23rd.

Stay tuned!

Trying to Predict Harvest

testing for ripenessSo here  it is, almost mid-July and time to test the grapes and try to predict harvest.  We tested the pH, TA and Brix along with visual examination, smell and taste testing.  Pictured here is tempranillo from Journey Vineyards, merlot from our Salado vineyard and chardonnay from our Salado vineyard.

As you can see, the tempranillo has very red juice.  Winemaker’s dream!  The merlot hasn’t developed much color yet, and the chardonnay on the right, well, as a white, we don’t want too much color.  You can also see the seeds in the picture.  Still plenty of green seeds.

So the statistics?

From Belle Crest, Tempranillo: pH 3.21, Brix 19.2, TA 9.2    Malbec pH 2.94, Brix 16, TA 16 g/L plum, Cabernet Sauvignon pH 2.91, Brix 16.8, TA 17 g/L tart like orange juice

We predict Tempranillo harvest August 2nd, Malbec August 9th and Cab August 16 for Belle Crest

From our vineyard, Chardonnay was 1/2 green seeds and 1/2 brown, starting to golden, smells like apple cider, brown juice, green apple or pineapple flavor, pH3.21, TA 14 g/L, 14.5 degrees Brix, predict harvest on August 2nd

Merlot, too many green berries! very green seeds, brown juice, sweet carmel and plum smell, tart like orange juice taste, pH 3.08, TA 12.4 g/L, 12 degrees brix, predict harvest on August 9th

From Journey Vineyards, Tempranillo has green & beige seeds, almost fully colored grapes, nice pink juice, grape bubblegum and applesauce flavors, pH 3.15, TA 10 g/L, 13 degrees Brix, predict harvest August 9th

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Time for SEX in the Vineyard

sex in the vineyard

sex in the vineyard

I admit it, I am just trying to get your attention.  The sex I am referring to is the procreation of baby grapes.  Bloom has started.  What does that mean?  Let me copy from Ed Hellman on the Agrilife Extension page:

The grape flower does not have conspicuous petals, instead, the petals are fused into a green structure termed the calyptra, but commonly referred to as the cap. The cap encloses the reproductive organs and other tissues within the flower. A flower consists of a single pistil (female organ) and fivestamens, each tipped with an anther (male organ). The pistil is roughly conical in shape, with the base disproportionately larger than the top, and the tip (called the stigma) slightly flared. The broad base of the pistil is the ovary, and it consists of two internal compartments, each having two ovules containing an embryo sac with a single egg. The anthers produce many yellow pollen grains, which contain the sperm. Wild grapevines, rootstocks (and a few cultivated varieties such as St. Pepin) have either pistillate (female) or staminate male flowers — that is, the entire vine is either male or female. Vines with female, pistillate flowers need nearby vines with staminate or perfect flowers to produce fruit. The majority of commercial grapevine varieties have perfect flowers, that is, both male and female components.

An individual grape flower is shown with floral parts labeled.

The period of time during which flowers are open (the calyptra has fallen) is calledbloom (also flowering or anthesis), and can last from 1 to 3 weeks depending on weather conditions. Viticulturists variously refer to full bloom as the stage at which either approximately 50% or two-thirds of the capshave loosened or fallen from the flowers. Bloom typically occurs between 50 and 80 days after budburst.

Picture with grape parts labeled also from “Parts of the Grape Vine: Flowers and Fruit” by Ed Hellman on the Agrilife Extension website

2013 Chardonnay Harvest July 27-28

chardonnay sample picked on July 20. Notice mostly dark brown seeds and some beige.

chardonnay sample picked on July 20. Notice mostly dark brown seeds and some beige.

It is time!  Chardonnay harvest begins Saturday morning, 7 am, July 27.  It will likely continue on Sunday July 28 at 7 am and you are officially invited to join us for Harvest 2013!  We usually pick grapes until 11 am and you’re welcome to come for as little or as long as you like.  Come for the fun and camaraderie!  Kids welcome.

If you have favorite pruners, bring them, otherwise we have extras for you.  Please wear a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, and sturdy shoes. (I like to wear old sneakers and socks so that the pigweed doesn’t get me).  Some folks like to wear light cotton gloves, but they are not necessary.  Beware of the wasps, fireants, mosquitos, and be prepared for the heat.  Watch out for the mean old mockingbirds who think they own the vineyard!  I haven’t seen any snakes this year, but there’s always a first.

Also, Sunday afternoon and the days following harvest are the best times to visit the winery and see the wine making in action.  We can always put extra hands to work, so if you don’t like to get up early in the morning, come by in the afternoon and be part of the bucket brigade.

The vineyard is at 21724 Hill Road, Salado, TX 76571.  Feel free to send me an email to june @ saladowinery.com.  If you are lost the morning of harvest, call/text us on cell phone, (254) 466-5813.  More harvest updates will be available, and they are tentatively listed on our homepage under “vineyard” or on ourfacebook page http://www.facebook.com/SaladoWinery.

New Release–2012 Chardonnay

First release of the vintage 2012!

We’re so excited about our first batch of chardonnay from our own vineyard that we’ve rushed it into the bottle to make it available to you.  This is unfiltered, so it looks a bit cloudy, but we think you’ll enjoy it.  We’ll have it open for tasting during “Uncorked” the juried art show on Friday, October 26, 2012.