The Rains of 2013

Saturday, Oct 19th, 2013

It is not the most glamorous time to be a grape grower.  I’m reminded of this in the midst of a downpour, as I trudge through shin deep mud on my way to cut rotten bunches out of barely ripe Riesling.  I pull my hood tight and turn on my radio headphones in hopes of a distraction from the gloom.  “There will likely be snow next week,” the announcer says as I slop past many tons of yet to be harvested Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.  Icewine anyone?

It’s been that kind of year.  As farmers we’re quite accustomed to being at the mercy of mother nature, and have in fact been spoiled by six consecutive years of decent growing conditions – with a couple of real beauties sprinkled in!  It’s rare in any type of farming to have more than a few good years in row.  Hence, you’re never as rich as your best year and you’re never as poor as your worst.

At times like this it’s important to remember that you can only do everything in your power to give yourself the chance to produce premium fruit.  I’m confident we’ve done just that and I still believe it a possibility to craft great wines from these grapes, albeit with less room for error.

My parents remind me of the “old days” when wet vintages seemed to be a little more common.  Tales of stuck harvesters and trucks  – and fields so saturated with water that the only choice was to hand pick and hand load (no tractor!) whole vineyard blocks thick with fruit.  It stands to reason that in wet years the crop is usually much heavier and far more difficult to harvest.

I finally get to Jean’s Block and in the time it takes me to knock the clods of mud off my boots, the rain abruptly stops.  Halfway down the first row I fail to discover as many rotten clusters as I had anticipated and the sun even threatens to peek out of the clouds.  As I approach the old pear tree hill that is now Ravine Vineyard I start to smell the most amazing aromas coming from atop the hill.  I’m reminded of the hearty lunches that we traditionally enjoy on those cold harvest days.  With that, the glamour returns.

Pre-Harvest Jitters

Saturday, Aug 24th, 2013

What a curious growing season it has been to this point.  I guess it really shouldn’t be a surpirse given that this year ends in “13”.  Consistently cool and wet for the most part, but strangely no signs of disease pressure to speak of (knock on wood).  Then we are blessed with a few weeks of ideal ripening conditions precisely when we need it at veraison.  All varietals, save Cabernet Franc, are looking to be right on schedule.

The Cab Franc are likely lagging behind due to their prodigious uptake of water.  The spring/summer rains have left our vines brimming with growth – even many lateral shoots are bearing clusters of fruit!  The last couple of months have been spent paring back these layers of green growth in an effort to expose the vulnerable fruit.  The Cab Franc vines put so much energy and resource into this shoot growth that the fruit will take longer to enter and complete the ripening process.  It doesn’t help that our Cab Franc vines are relatively young and full of vim and vigour!

The task of thinning shoots and clusters has been very time consuming this season, but I can finally start to make out the post at the end of this long grape row.  As I complete each row, my Dad follows behind to hang the protective bird netting.  I must say that the sight of these nets brings me the ultimate in satisfaction.  They represent the preservation of  year’s worth of hard work and signify the end of my duties in that block until we harvest.

My mind can now shift to the preparation of tanks, barrels, crushers, presses and the like.  It’s also the time to determine which yeasts and fermentation aids I will employ to best coax out the Terroir in my 2013 wines.  The new supplier catalogues we receive each year put me in mind of the old Sears Christmas Wish Book I always looked so forward to as a child.  My eyes light up as I flip through page after page of new “toys”, each seeming to promise more flavours and aromas than the next.  I find it fascinating to think of the amount of research that has gone into refining the simple process of fermentation.  We all have our “go to” yeasts that we swear by, but I’m usually tempted to try something new every year – even if it’s just in a single tank or barrel.

If I close my eyes I can almost smell those beautiful fermenting tanks already!

Of Buds and Blue Eggs

Tuesday, May 07th, 2013

 

When setting out for a morning of work in the vineyard, I never know what I might encounter.  I’ve witnessed deer bounding gracefully right between our trellis wires and lone coyotes sauntering about, slyly portraying ignorance yet fully aware of my presence.

More often than not I encounter birds.  From majestic Hawks and rare Bluebirds to annoying Starlings – it runs the gamut.  I especially look forward to spring, when new life in the vineyard is not limited emerging buds and dandelions.  This past week, while tying down canes of Pinot Noir (specifically Row #7 in the Old Block),  I was fascinated as I closed in on one particular vine.

A curious place for a nest

Cautiously creeping closer, it became evident that a determined Robin had chosen one of my oldest Pinot vines as the perfect place to raise its family.  I recognized the irony in this nest full of future grape-pecking Robins staring me in the face, but I couldn’t bring myself to relocate the cosy looking abode.  Instead, I tied down the canes and snapped a few quick pictures as mama Robin chirped at me rather aggressively from two rows away.

Five Rows, Four Eggs

Future Adversaries

This is actually a common vineyard occurrence.  The most interesting discoveries are the camouflaged Kildeer nests dotting the ground between grapevines.  Mother Killdeers are seemingly fearless.  As you approach the nest she will frantically charge at you, feigning a broken wing in an effort to seem more vulnerable to the perceived predator.  In the ultimate act of altruism the mother will then attempt to lead you in the opposite direction of her nest, all the while fanning her “broken” wing.  I always get a kick out of this evolutionary trait and try to vacate the area as quickly as possible.  Inevitably, I must approach the nest as work continues in the adjacent row and the whole dance starts again.

My mind flashes to a vision of yours truly, arms flailing and yelling wildly, as Howie approaches one of my dogs on the tractor.  He is blissfully unaware, and they are all too eager to greet him.  Finally, I get his attention and danger is averted.  My inner Kildeer is satisfied.

New Year, New Sign

Thursday, Dec 27th, 2012

 

I feel it fitting, in this my 100th blog entry, to festively announce the erection of a new Five Rows roadside sign.

I can hear you all in unison: “Well, it’s about time!”

However, it is not without some sentimental regret that we retire our old red sandwich board.  At various times it was stolen, returned, run over, blown over, repainted, amusingly observed by Beppi and cursed by all those who didn’t see it on first pass.  A useful (if not reliable) sign it was.

As is evident in the following photographic essay, the beautiful new sign was hung with typical Five Rows grace and ingenuity.  I ask anyone working for the Ontario Workplace Safety Insurance Board to kindly avert your eyes.  A special thanks to Barry Imber for his fine craftmanship.

 

I wish you all a Happy New Year and invite you to join us for our third annual Treadwell’s Winemaker Dinner on January 26th, 2013.   Wine pairing details coming soon!

 

 

 

 

“Off With The Cabs!” (and hurry)

Thursday, Nov 01st, 2012

Never in my experience as a Viticuluralist has the end of a growing season been so clearly defined.  A couple of weeks back I glanced at the long term forecast and didn’t like what I saw.  As the resulting “Frankenstorm” began taking shape, the decision to harvest our last fruit of the season on Friday, October 26th was an easy one.

The sunny and warm conditions we experienced that day belied the imminent storm hovering in the Atlantic.  We happily snipped clusters and reminisced about the unique season we had just experienced.  Unprecedented heat and prolonged periods of drought combined to give us the ripe grapes we now toted to the wagon.  Slowly but surely, the five rows I had chosen for our 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon graciously handed us their bounty.  As usual, we harvested three rows from our younger Clone 169 Block and two rows from our trusty “Old Block”.  I’ve come to appreciate that these two vineyards complement one another very well.  I count on the Clone 169 vines for the ripe, dark fruit characters, while the old block always supplies a uniquely elegant structure.

As we set up the crush pad later that afternoon, I was struck by the harmonious way old vintages seem make way for new ones.  Just as the 2012 Cab Sauv grapes were processed into bins in the back of the barn, the last few cases of 2009 Cab Sauv were making a hasty exit out the front door!   The interior floor space freed up by these case sales was much needed for the incoming bins.  A second example arises as the 2012 Shiraz finishes fermentation.  It would need to be pressed soon, meaning the 2010 Shiraz must be racked out of barrel and blended, so the wood can be re-used to house the pressed 2012’s.  This poetic cycle appeals to my love of order and flow – one in, one out.  The fact that 2010 and 2012 were very similar growing seasons deepens the bond between these two wines that now share both lineage and cooperage.

I would like to thank all the people who have braved the wet weather to pay us a visit over the busy months of harvest.  I apologize to those “first-timers” who came at a time when our once plentiful stacks were now gone or critically low.  We do still have limited quantities of 2009 Pinot Noir and 2009 Cab Sauv Icewine available, and we plan to stay open for tastings until Christmas.  Please stop in if you have a chance.

Cheers to a great vintage!!

Mother Nature or Winemaker’s Nurture?

Wednesday, Sep 19th, 2012

The last couple of weeks saw a flurry of action at our family vineyard.  The “perfect” summer of 2012 ended with a stretch of wet weather that spawned nervous moments and tough decisions.  Looking back, I probably worried more than I should have (what’s new) because the fruit hung on wonderfully through the intense downpours and resultant humidity.  In a nine day span we were able to harvest all of our Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.  It’s rare that all four of these varietals mature within such a short window.  Perhaps that is what we will remember most when we enjoy the wines of 2012, just how early and quickly everything ripened.  Even the later varietals taste like they are not too far off – a very exciting prospect!

As I fall into my daily ritual of fermentation checks (specific gravity, temperature and taste), I ponder whether this may be my favourite time to be a winemaker.  I enjoy the solemnity of this stage,  the wines are mine and mine alone.  It won’t be long until I share them with my friends, but for now they are mine to protect and nurture.  Each day there are surprises and letdowns, comebacks and revelations, but most of all there is respect for a process that I did not invent, nor will I ever perfect.  I will only get so many chances to do this in my lifetime.

I used to feel pressure at this stage to repeat past successes, but now I know that it is a foolish pursuit.  The wines will be what they were destined to be the moment the grapes were clipped from the mother vine.  The job of the farmer is what crafts these wines.  Sure, I control the fermentation with choice of yeast, temperature and nutrition, but I can no longer impact the natural elements of the harvested grape.  It is those natural elements, supplied by the Terroir, that make a wine special.

I hold out high hopes for these young wines as they bubble their way through fermentation.  The Pinot Noir is particularly intriguing this year.  The aromatics are so intense!  There are few things I enjoy more than punching down a bin of actively fermenting Pinot.  It is a grunt at times, but also very therapeutic and mesmerizing (according to Wilma).  Your entire year’s work reduced down to a single vessel of beautiful aromas and colours.  As I said, a good time to be a winemaker.

2011 “Jean’s Block” Riesling

Monday, Jul 02nd, 2012

 

Many oenophiles consider Riesling to be the best-suited white grape varietal for the rigours of Niagara regional terroir.  It’s a treat to grow, with good crop levels and minimal finicky hand-labour compared to tight-clustered Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc.  It has decent winter hardiness and tends to thrive in our slightly “cooler climate” (my current air conditioning bill might disagree with this categorization).

Vinifying Riesling is where things get a little more complicated.  So many different styles and so many variables to experiment with.  Although we grow Alsatian Clone 49 in Jean’s Block, the resultant wines I’ve crafted tend to be an amalgam of varying Riesling profiles.  The 2011 vintage features the subtle, mineral-laden nose of an Alsace Riesling, but the richness and depth of flavour of my favourite German styles.  The natural acidity is the strength of the wine, balanced with a touch of residual sugar.  Over the years, I’ve found that Riesling takes a while to open up after the stress of filtration and bottling, so we usually release it later than our other whites.  Riesling fans will tell you that it’s a mistake to drink it too young anyway!

In the ongoing quest to improve wine quality, we decided to employ a different pressing technique in the fall of 2011 – a gentle, whole-bunch squeeze in our old wooden basket press.  It proved to be very time consuming and a huge headache to clean out, but I think the end product justifies the extra effort.  I also experimented with a different yeast, R2, on 50% of the juice, while using my old standby, W15, on the other half.  Fans of our Pinot Gris might recognize some of the elements that R2 brings – rounder mouthfeel, tropical fruit notes – in this Riesling.

2011 “Jean’s Block” Riesling is a wine that means a lot to me personally.  I welcome you to come by starting this weekend to give it a try.  There are only 48 cases available, so we must limit purchases to 4 bottles per customer.  Retail price is $25 per bottle.

Father’s Day

Sunday, Jun 17th, 2012

 

There are days when I feel overwhelmed.  It usually occurs around this time of year when despite my best efforts, I just can’t seem to catch up to the work that needs to be done.  There are weak moments (humid, dizzy moments) that I actually begin to second guess my calling.  Who on earth would be stupid enough to willingly submit themselves to the rigours of thinning grapes in this oppressive heat?

Just as I convince myself that my afternoon efforts might be better spent monitoring the progress of 2011 Pinot Noir barrels in the cool confines of the barn, I spot a cloud of dust emanating from the far corner of our 60 acres.  Cue the proverbial forehead slap…

There is an individual in the center of that dust cloud who’s work ethic is second to none.  He skillfully guides the tractor and disk, eventually making the careful wide turn for the next row.  Four rows over, three rows back.  A pattern he has repeated time and again for the last 40 years.

I get to the farm in the morning and he’s out there – I leave in the afternoon and he’s still out there.  We may pass each other at some point during the day,  but no words need to be spoken.   That cloud of dust is his example.  My second guessing comes to an abrupt halt.  When I was younger I couldn’t wait until it was my turn to do all the tractor work.  Now I hope that day never comes.

As I sing his praises, a comical beer commercial flashes to mind and it occurs to me that my father might just be, “The most interesting man in the world” (or at least St. Davids).  Some proof:

His pre-dawn enthusiasm puts my Golden Retriever to shame.

Powdery Mildew is afraid of him.

His internal alarm clock laughs at my snooze button.

‘Hydration’ is a foreign term to him.  He drinks beer and coffee, and when he’s really thirsty…Lipton Cup-a-Soup.

He could jump-start a canoe.

He doesn’t buy new golf clubs, he buys a new wrench (mainly because he broke something and can’t find the wrench he bought last week…and he can beat you with his old clubs anyway).

Happy Father’s Day to all the early risers and “Stay thirsty my friends!”

Buds

Monday, May 07th, 2012

 

For those curious about how things look in the vineyard these days I have good news…the buds are alive!  (At least 75% of them that is).  My thoughts go out to those tree fruit farmers who haven’t been as lucky thus far.  I’ve heard some staggering reports of damage in local apple and plum orchards as buds emerged way too early for their own good, only to succumb to the cold temperatures we experienced in April.  How fickle it can be.

When Life Gives You Lemons…

Tuesday, Mar 20th, 2012

Pruning in shorts?   So much for those ultra-thermal, -70°C rated  “Tarantula”  boots my Dad got me for Christmas.  They’re still in the box.  Sap is gushing from the tips of newly pruned grapevine canes and there are pink swollen buds on my Magnolia tree – it’s only March 20th.  It was officially winter…yesterday.

Vineyard managers across the region are scratching their heads while sporting cautious grins.  They should be tremendously excited about how early this growing season  promises to be.  Three weeks early is not out of the question at this point.  But our enthusiasm is guarded.  There will no doubt be multiple frosts between now and the end of May.  The extremity of those frost events and just how advanced the buds will be when they happen are nervous variables yet to be determined.

So we sit on a precipice of possible greatness.  A vintage for the ages or an apocalyptic frost event that fries most of our delicate shoot growth.  At least I can go golfing tomorrow to calm my nerves.

Shifting gears, it’s very exciting to have our 2011 Sauvignon Blanc featured in the April/May issue of Vines magazine.  To be included in the article alongside notable Sauv Blanc producers like Hidden Bench and Creekside is a thrill for us.  The photo shoot at the Botanical Gardens was a fun change of pace and really symbolizes the vibrancy of Niagara Sauvignon Blanc.  I don’t know how they talked me into a few of those poses, but you know what they say,  “When life gives you lemons…”

I’ve received numerous inquiries about the barrel sample of 2011 Sauv Blanc that was reviewed in the article, some expressing horror that they had missed a release notice.  Not to worry – all 100 cases will be bottled on April 2nd and hopefully ready for release by May 1st.  Please let me know if you’d like to reserve a six bottle case (wes@fiverows.com).