By Mitch Shultz, Stonehouse Winery Co-Founder and Winemaker
Great News! At the onset, Harvest 2011 appears to be a very good year with respect to quality and balance between acids and Phs in the fruit. Our vineyard is approximately 14 to 20 days behind last year’s harvest date, so we will be harvesting our estate Tempranillo, Petit Sirah and Muscat within the next 7 to 10 days.
The fruit is exceptional this year. Our vineyard was unaffected by the rare summer hail and heavy rain that has been problematic for many vineyards in the area. We also managed to avoid damage from the late frost that also affected several other vineyards close by. The phenolic profiles on all of our varietals are riper and we have lower sugar levels as compared to last year’s fruit at this time. We are anticipating a heavy crop of approx 5 tons per acre in all varietals. All of the varietals seeds are firm and golden brown, which is what a winemaker looks for as a sign the fruit is fully mature and ready for harvesting.
The 3 varietals on the winery property will be harvested and processed all in one day. It will be an 18-hour day but necessary. The Cabernet located on my ranch in El Dorado County will be a huge job, as we will harvest approx 65 tons of fruit. That harvest will take place on or about October 7.
Our aim is to process the fruit within 8 hours of picking. I have 2 cellar helpers assist during harvest and crush as well as up to 25 pickers, so as to get the fruit off the vines and processed at the winery in a timely fashion.
For those who like to follow the numbers:
Tempranillo is at 26 brix and the Ph is currently 3.6
Petit Sirah is at 22.5 brix and the Ph is currently 3.4
Muscat Blanc is at 23 brix and the Ph is currently 3.37
Cabernet Sauvignon is at 23.5 brix and the Ph is currently 3.52
Note: "Brix" is the scale of measurement that winemakers use to describe the sugar content of grapes. It refers to the weight of the sugars contained in the grape or soluble solids per 100g of liquid. I typically look for a range from 23.5 to 26.0 degree Brix. Example: a grape harvested at 24 Brix will yield a finished wine of approx 13.9% Alcohol.
During the Wine Fest Weekend (October 1-2), we may be in the middle of harvesting grapes, which would create a real show on the winery crush pad between processing fruit and performing pump overs on our various wine lots. If that happens, expect some frenetically ad libbed choreographic attempts on my part to join the Tasting Room staff’s more finely tuned efforts during the Big Crush Weekend festivities. Here’s to the Harvest ahead -- Cheers!
