Tag Archive for: Vineyard

Red Grape Harvest MOVED to August 17-18, 2013

picking grapes is so easy--even a one year old can do it

picking grapes is so easy–even a one year old can do it!

After test #4, we’ve decided that the red grapes will not be ready until August 17.  So the next chance to harvest is Saturday & Sunday, August 17 & 18 at 7 am.

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.

Test #4 for Grape Ripeness

uneven ripening, 3 more weeks to go

uneven ripening, 1 more week to go

I thought that we would harvest the red grapes during the weekend of August 10-11, but after testing the grapes, I have decided that we will wait one more week, and harvest the red grapes August 17-18.  Here are the numbers from test #4 (done Tuesday, August 6, 2013) for those who are curious:

Sangiovese piccolo 3.42 pH, 19 degrees Brix, 8.4 TA (pear)

Sangiovese grosso 3.54 pH, 20 degrees Brix, 8.25 TA (overripe plum)

Cabernet Sauvignon 3.29 pH, 17 degrees Brix, 9.75 TA (green apple–definitely under ripe)

Merlot 3.56 pH, 19.2 degrees Brix, 7.20 TA (mellow)

Most importantly, I am still seeing some green grapes in the vineyard, some green seeds, and the peduncles have not hardened off quite yet, so I think to optimize the quality of the grapes, I should wait one more week.  Hope the birds don’t get all this fruit!

Some of the numbers have not moved much since test #3, but the flavors are developing, so I have confidence that the grapes are still ripening.

2013 Red Harvest AUG 10-11

picking grapes is easy

picking grapes is easy

<<<<<<<<<<<<UPDATE:  Harvest rescheduled for AUGUST 17-18>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

After testing, we’ve decided that the red grapes will not be ready until August 10.  So the next chance to harvest is Saturday & Sunday, August 10 & 11 at 7 am.

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.

Test for harvest #3

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IDR7nI8Rusg/Ue1MMBP-fbI/AAAAAAAAKYE/1tmbRqIAQDk/s144-c-o/IMAG0299.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/102153593012294996679/20130801?authkey=b-YJ_-aBRpw#5903458455930174898″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMAG0299.jpg” ]

While we picked the chardonnay, I was quite struck by how far behind the reds seem to be.  So time to run the tests again:

Merlot 19.8 degrees Brix, 3.55 pH, 7.5 TA (bland-no flavor)

Sangiovese 18.3 degrees Brix, 3.29 pH, 9.0 TA (strawberry-slightly tart)

Cabernet Sauvignon 16.8 degrees Brix, 3.04 pH, 10.5 TA (TART!)

Based on these numbers, I am predicting that harvest will be Saturday, August 10 & 11, at least for the merlot and sangiovese.

 

We also tested the grapes from Belle Crest Vineyard:

Malbec 20.3 degrees Brix, 3.55 pH, 6.0 TA (fig)

Tempranillo 22 degrees Brix, 3.74 pH, 4.5 TA (pear)

Cabernet Sauvignon 19 degrees Brix, 3.29 pH, 7.5 TA (nectarine)

Their cab sauv looks to be a bit higher than ours, but their sample is not a true random sample since it did not include the green grapes.  For our sample, we tried to make sure that we had a truly random sample and included green berries.

<<<<<<<<<UPDATE: RED harvest at Salado Vineyard MOVED to AUGUST 17 & 18 after test #4>>>>>>>>>

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.

2013 Harvest starts July 20

Baby Grape goes to harvest on August 4th, 2012

Baby Grape goes to harvest on August 4th, 2012

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<dates are changed, please look here>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You are officially invited to join us for Harvest 2013!  We expect the schedule to be:

Saturday, July 20 & Sunday July 21==chardonnay

Saturday, July 27 & Sunday July 28==merlot

Saturday, August 3 & Sunday August 4==cabernet sauvignon

TBD during the week==sangiovese

We are usually at the vineyard from 7-11 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, Saturday 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 our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/SaladoWinery.

Don’t pick the grapes yet!

hey DinoHey Dino!  Don’t pick the grapes!  It isn’t time yet.  I know you’re almost 11 months old, and you’ve been waiting a long time for harvest because then it will be time for your birthday, but it’s TOO SOON!  Those are cabernet sauvignon grapes and they still have to go through veraison–they have to turn RED first.  I hope you’re not colorblind?  You’re gonna taste them?  TART, aren’t they?  Those grapes won’t make good wine yet.  They still need 6-7 more weeks of ripening Dino.

dino eating green cabernet grapes

Dino, maybe you should get back in your pack and up on my back?  We’ve got to get this vineyard ready for netting.  Soon these grapes will turn red and then the birds will try to get them.  Plus, look at all these weeds.  We’ve got mowing and weeding to get done.  So we need to get back to work!

 

Vineyard update–May 3, 2012

Baby Sangiovese grapes!

Bloom/Pollination/Fertilization is almost over in the vineyard.  We thought you might like to see these little bitty grapes as they are formed now and will grow in size until about mid-June.  After that veraison (fancy name for turning color) and ripening.  Then before I know it, harvest and wine making…stay tuned!

Vineyard is looking good!

baby grapes
could be a 20 lb cluster in a few months!

This picture was taken April 1st, 2012, and no fooling around, this may be the biggest cluster yet from our vineyard.  The sangiovese has already reached stage 15 on the Eichorn-Lorenz stages in shoot development–and we haven’t even had Easter yet!

 
The crop looks very promising this year, but I’m trying hard not to count all the grapes too soon.  All it takes is a short hail storm like last year, when the chardonnay grapes were obliterated.  But for now, we’re having a beautiful spring here in Texas and the grapevines are certainly going crazy.

Time to Start Pruning!

pruning starts today

Grab your pruners and get busy!

Sunday, February 26, 2012 

 Today was the first day of pruning and when I arrived the first peek of green was awaiting me.  The sangiovese is ready to burst forth and the chardonnay is only days behind.  So put down your glass of wine, grab your pruners, and GET BUSY spring is here!