Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/70670
WINEMA k ING have direct sun on the fruit. "Direct sun is the enemy of good aromatics." Klein described a little informal experiment in which he asked a farmer growing Pinot Gris on VSP wires not to pull any leaves on Navarro's rows, while adjoining rows headed for another winery got the leaf-pull treatment. In the end, Klein was very happy they had paid the grower not to do the work. Like most wineries with estate vine- yards, Abacela in Oregon's Umpqua Valley has been experimenting with clonal trials, which in their case means two new clones of their flagship variety, Tempranillo. Irri- gation trials are under way as well. In the leaf-pulling department, winemaker Wenzl noted another small viticultural wrinkle: severe leaf stripping early on, before flow- ering, which promotes smaller berries, looser clusters and better wine quality. It's a technique he tried a few years back and now utilizes whenever the season permits. Joe Hart is one of many winemakers trying out new grape varieties: A batch of Montepulciano is coming along nicely in barrel, and Vermentino is on his radar for the coming harvest. In the Livermore Val- ley, Rhone specialist Tom Coyne told me he would be releasing a wine in August that, "I talk to other winemakers, and we all feel we may be missing something, but who knows what it is? It's a competitive field; you have to check everything out." — Winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls, Markham Vineyards as far as he can tell, is based on a grape variety never before bottled in California. He said the wine would be called "La Balle d'Argent," which seems to be French for "silver bullet." I asked if he would tell me what the grape was, and he replied, "Of course not." It should be out about now. But the vineyard innovation prize goes to Charles Smith, the owner/winemaker at K Vintners/Charles Smith Wines in the Walla Walla Valley. For the first 40 acres of his new estate vineyard (most of his grapes have been purchased up till now), Smith is SpecTrellising_July10.qxp 5/13/10 9:25 AM Page 1 USED BY THE FINEST WINERIES TO ACHIEVE THE BEST RESULTS Call Now to Schedule Design Appointments! LT™ & LT 2+2™ MOG Separators Fruit Receiving Systems Bin Dumpers Sorting Tables Belt Conveyors Screw Conveyors Vibratory Conveyors Peristaltic Pumps...... • Gentle • Durable • Highest Quality • Best Performance • Self Priming • Powerful The Good News? Your goal of perfection just became more attainable. taking precautions against potential frost and freezing by installing a heating sys- tem—not overhead sprinklers, not a sim- ple wind machine, but a network of above- ground propane heaters modeled more or less on the common practice in fruit or- chards. "About once every seven years," he said, "Washington has a cold snap, and it can take out your crop, set back your vines, make you start over." In 2010, one of those years, Smith noticed that a tiny grower who had a heating system in Walla Walla sailed right through, so he and his The Bad News? Everybody wants one. Membrane presses from 18 HL - 80 HL. Precise control in an exquisite machine. World Renowned Quality Santa Rosa, California 95403 P 707 573 3141 • F 707 573 3140 www.pnlspecialties.com 1650 Almar Parkway CA Contractor's #803431, OR Contractor's #180330, WA Contractor's #PLSPELS923BZ SOLUTIONS • EXPERTISE • QUALITY • SATISFACTION Wines & Vines JULY 2012 49