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36 WINES&VINES April 2017 Viewpoint S tarting from scratch: Life's circumstances led me to Virginia in 1981. I was hired to expand an existing vineyard and start up a winery in the Shenandoah Valley. It didn't take long for me to realize that I wanted to set my own roots here. I had a background in wine consumption and in farming, but only a couple years of vineyard and winemaking experience. With family support, I was eventually able to put a down payment on an old abandoned apple orchard in the Blue Ridge Moun- tains. Hardscrabble Vineyard was born in 1985 with an 8-acre planting. There were a lot of unknowns in the 1980s, so priorities centered around three basic requirements in my search for a vineyard site. The land had to be higher than the sur- rounding land for air drainage (frost and winter cold). The soils needed to be well drained (I had witnessed what happened otherwise). Finally, elevation needed to be more than 1,000 feet (Hardscrabble is 1,200 to 1,400 feet) to delay ripening into the cooler part of September and Oc- tober in order to retain the acidity I admire in wine. The Hardscrabble site was purchased based on these characteristics, and they have served as a good foundation. What follows is the story of how I learned, adapted and fine-tuned since then. One aspect that drew me to Virginia was the Jeffersonian challenge to become a terroir pioneer. How many oppor- tunities does one have to plant a virgin region and discover its wine possibilities? While those were exciting times, they were very scary. Survivability was more of an immediate concern than sustainability. With so many new growing regions emerging east of the Rockies, I feel compelled to write about my journey. How does an individual go about figuring out their wine identity in a new region? For those not familiar with the Mid-Atlantic region, I've included some background information. Climate The Mid-Atlantic climate is classically continental with the possibilities of damaging cold winter temperatures, late- spring frosts, high humidity and rain during the growing season. These conditions may seem insurmountable to our West Coast colleagues, but they define who we are, how we go about establishing a vineyard, and how we manage our vines. This is also why we look to maritime and continental- influenced European regions for advice and inspiration. Winter damage issues will always be with us, but they have changed over the past few decades. In the 1980s the winters were considerably colder, with below-zero tempera- tures being the norm. Bud mortality was a major concern, with pruning adjustments becoming standard operating procedure. It quickly became apparent that low-lying sites where cold air pooled would be viticultural graveyards. Today our winter temperatures have moderated, but temperature swings often are more pronounced. In a matter of days, we can go from 60° F down to 0° F. This vacillation leads to more vascular damage, crown gall and death— especially with younger vines. As a result, we are learning that replacement viticulture is a fact of life. Replants are an annual spring ritual. Managing a block with vines of varying ages is a headache at first, but it becomes routine with time. Dense spacing makes more sense, as the vineyard gaps from missing vines are smaller and quicker to refill. Ripening sweet spot Producing a wine of natural balance requires that ripening takes place when flavors, phenolics, acid and sugar occur in unison. Our best shot at terroir expression in wines is when ripening happens during the "sweet spot" between mid-September and mid-October. This is when the nights are cool but the days are warm enough to continue the ripening process. Variety, clone, soil, slope aspect and rootstock can all influence rip- ening times. At Hardscrabble, early-ripening va- rieties such as Seyval and c l o n e s l i k e Colmar Char- donnay have been removed as ripen- ing would consis- tently occur in August or early September under hot, humid condi- tions. Wine quality was acceptable, but never remarkable. For white wine vari- eties, acidity is our most im- portant quality precursor. While the TA, pH and malic num- bers are not ignored, only palate, balance and ex- n JIM LAW One Place, One Life