Proud papa

[nucjd]

Hey folks just wanted to share my final product for the 2013 vintage.

Here is a pic of my 2013 Chardonnay grown and made from my vineyard. To me the cool part of this is two fold. First my vineyard is in Alabama and I am successfully growing Chardonnay, merlot, syrah and mourvedre. Second is my second child was born in 2013. I am calling it Skylar's vintage in honor of my little girl

The growing season was really tough in 2013 with near continuous rain and constant fungus issues. I probably lost 30-40% of my crop to fungus due to the rain and temperatures. I had to harvest early and adjust the sugar on the front end to sneak the brix level up to an appropriate level however the good news was the ph was in range. The wine underwent standard primary and secondary fermentation with a montrachet yeast. Based on the very light and crisp fruit notes I decided to keep it out of the barrels and just add french oak chips during primary fermentation to add complexity. I also really wanted to let the vintage express itself.

Here is a pic of the Chardonnay on the vine. Notice the wet grass in the background.




The tasting notes of the wine are very interesting and surprising. The wine has a very light floral notes with subtle herbaceous quality (not surprised given the early harvest ). The fruit notes reveal citrus qualities and the wine just dances across the palate leaving a crisp dry finish. In actuality it reminds me a lot of a sauvignon blanc rather than a chardonnay.

As my harvests increase in size I plan on running one batch very basic with little intervention and the other batches using barrel fermentation/ aging as well as MLF.

Anyway thanks for letting me crow a little…. It was a good year

Here is a pic of a few bottle that I sealed with wax hoping that they might age a little longer and I could open later.

 

[Julie]

Congrats! To both the great looking grapes and to the birth of you second child!

 

[Runningwolf]

That's awesome, congratulations.

 

[dralarms]

Congrats. Children are great. (Especially grand children, that way you can spoil them and send them home)

 

[bkisel]

That's terrific!

Thanks for taking the time and effort to share with us.

Liked the added touch of the photo. I was thinking that with some cropping (Humm, is there a pun here?) you could use the photo for a wine label.

 

[Simpsini]

NUJCD – Congratulations… Great pictures. I’m glad to hear you can raise quality grapes here in Alabama.

 

[fabrictodyefor]

WTG!

 

[nucjd]

Thanks guys! very exciting year. One aspect I am learning quickly is for me growing grapes is much harder than crafting the wine. Mother nature does not play around and I feel like a boat tossed around in the ocean during a storm during growing season.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Congrats! Keep up the good work!

 

[ckvchestnut]

Congrats to you on both fronts! I can't wait to start planting more grapes in vineyard type fashion! Did you plant it yourself or was it on the property when you purchased?

 

[nucjd]

I researched my geographic region for vines that would work climate wise, then I hunted down a good spot. 20 degree slope with good drainage and constant sun with a breeze blowing up the valley I live in and gave it a whirl. It has been very educational and quite an adventure. One vine I found that absolutely hated Alabama was Cabernet Sauvignon. That was a huge 30 vine planting waste of time for me. I only have three that are living and they are quite stunted. I have a feeling it is my soil type more so than the climate. Oh well, you live and learn.

 

[LoneStarLori]

That is very impressive and I am totally jealous. I love that you named it after your daughter. You must save a bottle for her wedding night.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Ya very nice! What I your soil type or ph level? Mine is slightly on the alkaline side and is sandy...

Not sure if you can make the long small hilly ridge in the back - that where I plan to plant my stuff. It gets sun all day and a constant breeze.

 

[nucjd]

Hey LoneStarLori. Thanks for the compliment. I sealed a few bottles with wax hoping the age well. I would love to have something drinkable at her wedding from her year of birth.

Hey ckv. You are in a one cold climate. What type of vines do well up north? We have had a total of about 2-3 inches of snow this year that lasted about two days and then back up to 50s and 60s.

My soil type is very unusual for the area. I have two vineyards one is on a hill behind my house on a steeper slope and the main vine yard in beside my riding ring. When the ring was built the field we used had to be built up on one side to get the correct grade which gave a nice slope. Mixed top soil and base was used. Then over the years my ring's sand has washed into this area. The sand does not compress allowing excellent drainage. This has turned out to be perfect for vine development. The back vineyard sits on a clay subsoil which makes the vines really work ( almost too hard from some types of vines). This was my first test planting area and I quickly learned that chardonnay was super happy in my area.

What vines are in the fore front of the picture you posted?

 

[ckvchestnut]

Well it sounds like everything fell into place naturally for you! That's great! There are a number of grape varieties that work up here. Seval Blanc, Aurore, Baco Noir - some of those being possibly iffy in my growing zone (4b). I'm going to start my focus on reds at first because that's what I enjoy the most. So these varieties which are hardier than the others are the ones I'm looking at. Frontenac 3b cherry & plum flavours, Marechal Foch, Marquette 4b- blackberry, cherry, blackcurrent flavours, Sabrevois 4a, St. Croix 4b-balanced tasty

Right now I'm either going to plant all Marquette or some of that and some Frontenac. I'm currently growing fredonia, concord and the ones you see in the photo on the old fence (left it up here for the grapes) are a wild native grape. That fence is quite long and also gets sun all day and is right on a sandy hilly ridge that runs all the way around our house. I'm contemplating ripping the wild ones out to put some nice ones in and it's right beside my house. Don't have to walk as far to prune and harvest lol! That ugly page wire works perfectly for vines. But I might put new stuff up to spruce it up. Better than trying to put new stuff up when the vines are mature. Oh the vines on the right side are hubbies hops for his beer making hobby.

I also grow fruit for my wines, elderberries, blueberries, raspberries, service berries, high bush cranberries, apples and am interested in planting blackberries, cherries and maybe goji berries this spring. We also have butternut trees here. Been working for the past several years at really trying to make this place into a well rounded hobby farm that would have lots of interest by the time we decide to sell it. We also have a solar power project on the property which will generate income for the next 20 years.

 

[nucjd]

WOW. You are quite busy. My little side project pales in comparison to yours. Sounds like you have it pretty well figured out. I am really jealous of your soil type up that way.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Well, that's partially why my horse hobby has been somewhat on the back burner lol but it's never too late to start up again. There is always so much work to do around here. Not sure everyone would be envious lol I'll be happy when my little grape growing project gets off the ground and running! But I do value the terrain and soil type here. No flat, boggy acidic soil here. Just a mix if sandy, sand loam and some areas of clay but all excellent drainage. We live along the Ottawa River to boot. But too bad we are not waterfront our neighbors across from us are though. I wouldn't mind having that property! The land along the shore of the River there is sloped down towards the River. Sandy soil there too.

 

[nucjd]

Totally understand the horse issue. We are tied up importing breeding and selling horses so my vineyard takes a back burner. We have one mare imported from France in foal and have 3 babies due this spring and will be breeding 4 of our Selle Francais brood mares as well. The ground sounds right on for excellent growing. Good luck and keep me up to date. I am interested on how it progresses.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks! I will and best of luck for all sound births this spring and no complications for the mares