Notes From the Vintner
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Welcome
to our column. We hope that you will return to learn interesting
notes on wine, and related subjects. Wine is a great gift from God
to be used for the enjoyment of man. It is a food, and should be
treated as such. It is meant to lift up the body and lighten the
soul. 9/01/08
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A light year…but not as light as last year!!! This is my 53rd year of making wine, and it will be a small vintage. After planting 800 plants this year to replace the ones that were ruined with the Easter freeze, the crop is very light. But you live life as it comes, and you can chose to enjoy it or gripe.
So as I write this, we have Cynthiana grapes in the cooler and some fermenting in the tanks. I know that there will be enough for me to drink, and some to sell. Most of the wine we have is from past inventory. That is good that we have inventory to live off of in cases like this. I believe that the grapes are of very good quality this year, and that the wine will be one of the better vintages.
One thing that we have never spoke of in the past is the deposing of the press cakes after you extract the juice. This is good for the soil. Here is an idea for you to try this year. We take our pressing and stack them up for compost. After these cakes have rotted and decomposed, we use this material for additive to the vineyard. There is also an added advantage—during the winter the birds have a good source of food in the seeds of the grapes that were pressed. My wife counted over 60 Cardinals in the backyard one day. They looked really neat with the white snow and red feathers. Other birds also enjoyed the feast.
It is good to check your airlock often so that they do not get stopped up and blow, or that the bunds are not tight and allow air into seep into the vessel. As you know, you have to be on your toes in making wine and watch all the different areas of production.
By the end of the month, we will be finished with the crush for this year. With all the other projects in the mill, this will be a good thing. If no more projects are started, and several are finished this year, it will be a good year.
So let’s go have a glass before we get started on them… TO US…
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The Vintner *
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Robert G Cowie
Wine Maker |
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