Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/383377
W i n e s & V i n e s O C T O b e r 2 0 1 4 77 WineEast weights and crop yields on grafted vines. All the Valvin Muscat at Glenora Farms are grafted to Couderc 3309, and Swedish Hill's are on a mix of Kober 5BB, Teleki 5C and Couderc 3309. Peterson hasn't seen any difference in performance between the various rootstocks. Bud break for Valvin Muscat usually falls between Concord and Cayuga White, while 50% bloom is usually three to seven days after Concord. Considered a "mid-season" variety, it reaches maturity on par or soon after Cayuga White, which is usually mid- to late-September in the Finger Lakes. Growers and winemakers alike praised the variety's resistance to bunch rot and only moderate susceptibility to downy and pow- dery mildew. Dr. Bruce Reisch, Cornell's grape breeder who developed Valvin Mus- cat, says it does exhibit rupestris leaf spot, but it is not a concern. Valvin is considered slightly less cold hardy than Cayuga White. Even so, at Lake- wood Vineyards on Seneca Lake, nine of the 10 original experimental vines planted in 1992 have survived, despite an embarrass- ing lack of attention and temperatures of -6° F this past winter. While trunk damage is not uncommon, Valvin produces an abun- dance of suckers for renewals. Another vineyard issue is predation. One of the first things we noticed at Lakewood Vineyards was that the grapes were very attractive to the birds. Speaking non-scien- tifically, this is usually a good sign of grape quality, as most grapegrowers will attest that birds generally prefer to peck away at the high-end stuff. Even so, most growers I spoke with didn't take any extraordinary measures such as netting to fend off birds. One grower, with a chuckle, suggested planting extra so you could have some left over when the birds were done eating. Most winemakers agree that harvest times should be based on taste rather than strictly Brix and TA levels. Unlike some grape va- rieties, Valvin's flavors are comparatively easy to access in the vineyard because they translate so directly into the finished wine. Early harvesting favors citrus and herbal tones, while later harvest sees a precipitous drop in acid with less pure Muscat flavors. Bernard Cannac, winemaker at Heron Hill on Keuka Lake (Hammondsport, N.Y.) referred to "foxy" notes if the variety was over-ripe. Somewhere between herbal and "foxy" is where you find the nicest orange blossom, peachy-melon aromas and fla- vors—or what Peterson described as "pure Muscat" aromas. Valvin Muscat is not a particularly high- sugar variety. Harvest Brix generally range from as low as 15.5° to as high as 19.5° F. While winemakers are generally loathe to discuss it, most Valvin wines receive some level of chaptalization or back sweetening. As the author, I feel the responsibility to confess to my winemaking readership that I sometimes resort to such tactics to achieve the end results I am looking for. This vein of honesty is probably why I don't write a column about marketing. My point is, if you make your harvest decision based on some Harvest Brix generally range from as low as 15.5° to as high as 19.5° F. Natural Corks Champagne Corks Twinline Corks Bartops VISION Synthetic Corks G-Cap® Screw Caps Sales Representatives: Chris & Liz Stamp info@lakewoodcork.com lakewoodcork.com 4024 State Route 14 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 607-535-9252 607-535-6656 Fax PIONEER INNOVATOR PARTNER 360 E. State Parkway • Schaumburg, IL • 60173-5335 USA (847) 755-0360 • Toll-Free FAX: (800) 800-0320 International FAX: (847) 885-0996 • sales@kuriyama.com www.kuriyama.com The Kuriyama Value ™ Wine and Beverage Hoses POLYWIRE ® PLUS Suction & Discharge WSTF ™ Series Suction & Discharge 350LL Series Washdown CLEARBRAID ® Discharge FT ™ Series Suction 408LL Series Suction & Discharge Kuriyama of America, Inc. ™ 2013 Sc h a u m b ur g , Illi n o i s Anniversary 45th K U R I Y A M A O F A M ER I C A , I N C . 1968