PNW Harvest

[flyfishun]

We just finished up our harvest here in Gig Harbor WA. Wound up with about 500lbs of Leon Millot, brix finished at 23 with a pH of 3.4. My Pinot Noir was about 400 lbs with a finish brix of 22 and a pH of 3.38. I'm really happy to have it all done before the next big rain storm hits. The cold soak is on for at least 24 hrs then we will decide what to do. The yeast is ready to do its job and and I know the grapes will give everything they have to make the best wine.

 

[tfries]

Cool! It feels good when your efforts pay off. We harvested our grapes on Friday. Got most of it done before the rain started. Were in the Southern Willamette Valley. Ended up with 470 lbs of Pinot Noir and 140 lbs of Pinot Gris. We processed it all yesterday. Our Pinot Noir is made up of equal amounts of clones 115, 667, and 777. This year are fermenting these separately with a different yeast on each and will try coming up with a blend when they are done.

 

[grapeman]

That is great to both of you.

I would really like to be able to overwinter Pinot here as I believe our summers would be great for it here. I may give some a shot soon and see if I can't figure out how to get them through the winter without burying. A friend of mine is thinking of installing snow guns and making snow to insulate them. Who knows, it might work.

Anyways, the best to both of you with sucessful fermentations!

 

[OilnH2O]

The Pinot here in Montana - that I know of - seems to be mostly up around Flathead Lake, where it appears to winter once established (and, is not buried). But, here on the west side of the divide, our winters are more mild, relatively speaking (relative to the rest of Montana). But around the lake, and Rich you would know about lakes, there are some micro-climates (modified by the lake effect) that seem to allow Pinot to grow, but I don't know of any wine being made solely from it.

-Dave

 

[flyfishun]

There are some great cold hardy grapes that the university of Minnesota has been working on. I'm not sure of any Pinot clones but they do great in MN

 

[grapeman]

flyfishun the closest variety would be Marquette to Pinot Noir since Pinot is a grandparent of it.

 

[BeerAlchemist]

Fly, sounds like the harvest went well and you hit your numbers. How's fermentation going?

 

[flyfishun]

Fly, sounds like the harvest went well and you hit your numbers. How's fermentation going?

Harvest was amazing. 625 lbs of Leon Millot and 550 of Pinot Noir. After a 48 hr cold soak I'm in full blown fermentation. I will press off the skins by the end of the week. My starting numbers for Leon pH 3.4 and brix 23. Pinot pH 3.37 with brix 22 the color is amazing and its tasting good. I am also doing primary with 8oz oak in each primary.