Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/62507
WineEast management, disease and pest management strategies, etc? A lot of what growers are doing now is based on intuition and tradition, which often works fine but may not offer the optimal design and management systems. Tremendous variability for winemakers Finally, winemaking is more challenging and important to making high-quality wines in cool and cold areas where grape quality will have tremendous variability from one vintage to the next (or even within a vintage.) Getting balanced wines from grapes with high acidity, insufficient body, off-flavors, disease or all of the above makes winemaking a critical part of the production process. Proper extraction is necessary to elevate the mid-palate, particularly for red wines, and tools such as concentrators and rotary fermentors, if skillfully used, can help to improve the quality of substandard fruit. Blending is another excellent tool for the winemaker to make both red and white wines better. Using warm-climate "sunny" fruit/juice/wine as a blending tool to improve wine within legal limits is another option. The quality of wine is indeed determined in the vineyard, but this can be good or poor quality. Often it is the creativity and knowledge of the winemaker that matters the most in fashioning a palatable wine in a difficult vintage. White wines require the preservation of freshness and acidity, also in balance, to produce the attractive aromatic qualities that consumers expect from varieties like Riesling and Vidal. I have often said that the Eastern U.S. is the most challenging fine wine area in the world due to the combined threats of winter injury, GreenHoe_NewAd_1/4_9/22.qxp 9/28/09 9:30 AM Page 1 Grapegrowing The Eastern U.S. is the most challenging area to grow fine wine in the world. fall hurricanes, low-pressure systems and warm, humid summers. As conditions get cooler, viticulture and winemaking become more difficult, and with this come additional costs. I know from experience that the most expensive and least rewarding vintages are the cool and wet ones, where every task in the vineyard is a struggle and wine quality is often compromised. The occasional winter event can lead to varying degrees of vine loss resulting in lower production. It's all a tremendous gamble and not for the faint of heart or wallet. The vineyard and/or winery owner has to stare these risks squarely in the face and say, "I can take it." If you cannot, then my completely sincere suggestion is to use the money you would otherwise spend on the vineyard battlefield in a fine wine shop and other favorite pastimes, although none will be as thrilling as the annual vintage game we play. WE Mark L. Chien is statewide viticulture extension educator for the Penn State Cooperative Extension based in Lancaster, Pa. ATTENTION SHIPPERS, GROWERS, & WINERIES GREEN GRAPE HOE Specialized Tools For Vineyards Weed Control and In-Row cultivation Basic Hoe comes with a Hillup and a Takeaway Blade. Additional attach- ments include .3 Tooth Cultivator, Undercutter Blade, M&M WINE GRAPE CO. juicegrape.com The Sourcing & Transportation of Premium Wine Grapes is Our Specialty GRAPE SOURCING • by Variety • by Appellation • by Specification Green Hoe with Rotary Head Attachment Rotary head, "NEW" Rolling Cultivator and "New" Brush Rake for removing trimmings out from under the trellis. 6645 West Main Road Portland, NY 14769 PHONE (716) 792-9433 FAX (716) 792-9434 WWW.GREENHOECOMPANY.COM 52 Wines & Vines OCTOBeR 2011 From premium grape growing areas including: Amador, Mendocino, Napa, Suisun Valley, Clements Hills, Lodi, Central Valley, WA State, Chile S.A. and others WINERY SUPPLY All Equipment & Supplies necessary for all phases of winemaking. Combine with your grape purchase and save $$$ TRANSPORTATION • logistical network operating daily from coast to coast • over 20 years experience in moving product from point A to point B When your crop is down, your demand increased, or you're just starting out... M&M Wine Grape Co. is your source for quality products including fresh grapes, juice, and bulk wine. M&M Wine Grape Co. 101 Reserve Road Hartford, CT 06114 (877) 812-1137 sales@juicegrape.com Member of: mmwinefamily.com