Yesterday a crew of Far Niente workers passed through their Chardonnay vineyard, located near Vinoland, clearing the basal leaves from the vertical fruit-bearing shoots. This particular vineyard operation exposes the fruit so that it is easier to remove from the vine.More and more wineries are experimenting with night harvesting these days, the fruit is still cool when it arrives at the winery for processing and the vineyard workers don't get so fatigued in the heat of the day. I half expect that when I take the Vinodogs for a stroll tomorrow the vines will be naked.
I have no idea what clone this Chardonnay is, I am only familiar with clones 4 and 76, but I would hazard a guess at this being clone 76 because of the smallness of the clusters...but I can stand to be corrected. Whatever clone it is I am positive that the folks at Far Niente are very pleased with the crop this year as it looks superb and plentiful compared with the frost troubled crop of 2008. Hats off to their vineyard manager.
8 comments:
That reminds me...2 bottles of the far niente cab please...chop chop!
Those grapes look rather appealling, Vinogirl ! They're much fatter than those growing near here....
Thud: It will be 2006 remember.
Villager: Chenin blanc is usually considered a medium sized wine grape but in this case the grower had used Gibberellic acid to elongate the berries in order to loosen the clusters.
Villager, sorry I'm confused...happens to me at harvest time! These grapes are Chardonnay and rather small. Do you know what varietals they are growing by you? Muller Thurgau? Seyval blanc?
After 3 weeks of harvest, pressing & racking we're just 1/3 of the way through, and as I pitched yeast on the "Bluenello" we harvested last Friday, and threw the leftover down the drain, I was reminded of the story told to me by my ancestors as to how a little girl saved California a long, long while ago. Here it is, the story of "The Blob, Part II":
"San Diego winemaker pours leftover yeast down drain. Monster grows. Emerges from septic tank into leech field. Devours vineyard. Always thirsty, travels up the CA aqueduct consuming all water & vineyards en route to Sacramento. Guvenator comes to rescue, but is swiftly terminated. The BLOB oozes towards Napa Valley and is confronted by SUPER VINO GIRL, who destroys it, saving Vinoland & Napa Valley. She returns to England and makes killer wine from leftover BLOB yeast slobber. England becomes the new Napa Valley." End of story. May I suggest that Thud offer a bottle of killer wine to the person who answers the riddle: Exactly how did Super Vino Girl terminate the creature?
Craig...I do love the thought of England as the new Napa.
Craig, can I answer the riddle for myself? I'm thinking I commandeered a CDF air tanker, filled it with Everclear and arrested fermentation that way!
hmm life is too short for Chardonnay, bring on the torrontes.
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