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Harvest, Again
Like many things in nature, the life of a grapevine is cyclical. From dormancy in winter, to budbreak in spring, to bloom set and veraison* in summer, and fruit maturity as summer turns into fall. Then the process begins again.
It is when the grapes are mature, and the harvest begins that is the most exciting. Winemaking will soon begin. All the hard work in the vineyard from canopy management, careful pruning and a strict selection of ripe grapes reach a crescendo as the harvested grapes are handed off by vineyard manager to winemaker.
While many times the two jobs are one and the same, I cannot help but think of the analogy of a relay runner handing the baton off to his teammate. The vineyard manager can breathe a bit while the winemaker's work really begins. All of his choices -- from fermentation temperatures, yeast strain, barrel fermentation -- or not, barrel aging -- or not - all of these vital decisions will contribute to the ultimate flavor profile and taste of a wine.
But let's not forget the role of Mother Nature. It is been said that while a good winemaker can make a good wine from not so good grapes, a great wine can only be made from excellent grapes. The synergy of winemaker and winegrower is crucial. Mother Nature will do what she wishes!
Many vintages and harvests are imbeded in my memory. The success and the hot year that yielded the great 1990 Burgundies and Bordeaux wines. The loss of the grapes during the devastating frosts in the Loire Valley. It is the weather conditions up until and during the time of harvest that will often make or break a vintage.
Each year, I find myself in some vineyard area during the time of harvest. The 2000 vintage was no exception. I was in the vineyard area of northern Virginia at the Prince Michel Winery. And while seemingly less glamorous the wine regions of Tuscany or Bordeaux, the concerns of the winemakers and vineyard managers are the same. Bringing in the healthy raw material in order to make the best wine. The sound of bubbling barrels fermenting Merlot, the smell of Chardonnay grapes in the crusher. The sight of bees everywhere! The excitement is intoxicating!
You can already taste the results of the 2000 harvest with wines produced in the Southern Hemisphere. Pick up a bottle of a light and fragrant Torrents from Argentina, sip a bottle of "down under" Chardonnay from Australia. These vintages are already in your local wine shop. As for vintage 2000 in the Northern Hemisphere, you can celebrate with one of the most classic wines that have become a symbol of the new harvest - Beaujolais Nouveau. Produced from the… released the Third Thursday of November, and fermented in a style of to even further accentuate its freshness, Beaujolais Nouveau is generally a hit out of the bottle and great with much holiday fare. If you want the Californian take on the new harvest, sample one the New Gurus from Alexander Valley Vineyards. Look for heady aromas of dried roses and Turkish apricots abound!
I will anxiously await the arrival of the next vintage.
*Veraison - the point at which unripe grasps begin to change color and their sugar content increases.
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