August Vineyard Update

Norton grapes August 20, 2017

August is harvest month and there has been a flurry of activity around the vineyard. As the fruit ripens and turns color (veraison) the sugars rise and acid level falls. This attracts birds and deer that will eat the fruit. So we must lay large nets over the vines for the next week or so to detour them. This can be quite a job when you have acres of vines! Some grapes have disappeared from hungry critters feasting on the fruit. Months of cultivation of the vines can result in a lost crop overnight.
 
The Harvest party is planned for Saturday, August 26, 2017. This is our main event when we thank our volunteers by offering free wine and food for their help with the harvest. Picking will continue for the next 2 or 3 weeks as the grapes reach just the right level of sweetness (measured in brix). We are walking the vineyard daily and gauging readiness of the grapes that must be harvested within a very narrow window of time.
 
One of the wines that we bottled earlier this year won a silver award at the Iowa State Fair this month. Edelweiss Conger was made from Edelweiss grapes grown in Agency, Iowa by our friend, Mike Conger. This white wine has been very popular with those that enjoy a drier taste. As of this writing we have 8 cases left, so let us know if you’d like to reserve some before they are sold out.

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