Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/562166
September 2015 WINES&VINES 77 WINE EAST GRAPEGROWING to the top) because of the mass of bentonite. Instead, they let it set- tle out at its own pace for one or two days. In 2014, fermentation was started by inoculating with two neutral yeast strains to better ex- press the vineyard character in the grapes: Lalvin QA 23 and Anchor VIN 13, both from Scott Labora- tories. Jacketed 500-800-gallon tanks are used at 59° F, and the fermentation takes 10-14 days. The tanks are topped off, and the sulfur level is adjusted to about 50ppm, depending upon the wine's pH. Sarah Troxell then lets the wine rest on its lees with no racking. She estimates each tank to have only about 5 gallons of lees, because of the clarification process employed. The wine is ready for bottling by March or April, when it goes through crossflow filtration. They use a German-made Romfil cross- flow filter purchased in 2013 and, if any blending or sulfur adjust- ments are needed, it will happen then. Bottles are sealed with Diam corks from Hauser, and the wine will bottle age for two to three months—although the Troxells think it begins to show real devel- opment at six months in bottle. In the future, they hope to change over to screwcap closures. "I would love to switch," she said. "It fits the style of our wine." Their winemaking philosophy is to keep their hands off the pro- cess as much as possible. Galen Troxell told Wines & Vines, "We spend a tremendous amount of effort in the vineyard." Sarah Troxell added, "I've been entrusted with an entire crew and growing season's worth of work, and as winemaker, I need to pro- tect that and make sure the wine is as beautiful as possible. I'm the w a t c h m a n u n t i l t h e d a y o f bottling." She noted, "We farm wine; I prefer that wine is grown in the vineyard." As for Grüner Veltliner, Galen Troxell said, "I'm of the opinion that this is really the right grape for a large part of Pennsyl- vania, particularly in this region." He was the first to plant Grüner in the east, and his experiences will no doubt fuel greater growth in the years to follow. Dr. Konstantin Frank: the pioneer vineyard finds a new commitment Dr. Konstantin Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars was founded in 1962, following Frank's planting of some 60 vinifera varieties in 1958. Grüner Veltliner was not included in those plantings, an omission that was corrected in 2008. Dr. Frank's grandson, Fred Frank, who is now heading the winery, began planting Grüner Veltliner at its new site in Hector on the east side of Seneca Lake. Planted in stages, the cultivar now totals al- most 8 acres. The site is located in what's known as the region's "ba- nana belt," which has both warmer temperatures and excellent air and soil drainage. Their vineyard totals more than 50 acres and also has Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Lemberger and Saperavi sharing the soil. Frank's interest in Grüner Velt- liner began in the early 1980s, when he was studying winemak- ing at Germany's Geisenheim In- stitute. He regularly visited an aunt in Vienna, Austria, and found the nearby area to offer many en- joyable wines. Upon his return, he touted Grüner to his father, Willy Frank, who was then running the family winery. Willy was inter- ested but felt they needed a more moderate site. Negotiations to purchase the Hector property were finally completed in 2006, only a couple of months after the death of Willy Frank. "We're very bullish on Grüner," Fred Frank said. They planted enough to be able to supply their wholesale ac- counts—retail and particularly restaurants. "The goal was to show there is a high-quality, mod- erately priced cool-climate domes- tic alternative to Austrian Grüner," he added. Grapegrowing The winery employs a winemak- ing team, headed by long-time NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART LAB EQUIPMENT SETTING NEW STANDARDS FOR VINE QUALITY Tefera Mekura, Lab Manager PhD in Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University Serving the Wine, table grape, and raiSin induStrieS VINTAGE NURSERIES' ADVANcED NEW TESTING LAB VINTAGE NURSERIES' NEW TESTING LAB PUTS GROWERS FIRST! At Vintage Nurseries, our vines have to pass a lot of rigid tests. Our new in-house materials testing laboratory equipment with RNA detection introduces a whole new level of quality control built on faster turnaround, increased sample sizes and thorough attention to detail. It's just another way we continue to strive to provide the best possible plant material in the industry. WAScO 661.758.4777 SANTA ROSA 707.542.5510 PASO ROBLES 805.237.8914 800.499.9019 VintageNurseries.com