Hello and Welcome,
It is that time of year once again. We
have seen the first wine berry “In Flagrante!”
The day was a beautiful day as we have
grown accustomed to this time of year, only more so. The day of the first wine
berry to show a little skin (color) was Tuesday, July 30, at about 8:15 am. The
Julian calendar day was 211. For those who live in the moment, Ernie would
remind you that last year this event occurred on Julian calendar day 215. The
historical average for this type of activity is the 15th of August,
Julian calendar day 227, or 228 if it is a leap year. You can read up on the
Julian calendar here:
The lucky block was block 11, which is the
deeply rooted home to 891 Pinot Noir clone 114 vines grafted onto that soil
moisture extracting 5C rootstock. These vines were planted nearly 20 years ago
and we are starting to reap the benefits of vine age.
After that first wine berry sighting, it
becomes a race for attention. Block by block it’s “Hey, look at me!” and “I’ve
got your wine berry. I’ve got your wine berry right here!” or “We’re takin’
names and kickin’ acid!” There really is no end to this showboating until the Great
Cluster Pluck. Kinda like political debates in some ways. And in some ways not…
The other really cool thing to happen this
time of year is the IPNC – International
Pinot Noir Celebration right here in McMinnville, Oregon. We were fortunate
enough to be selected as a Featured Winery again this year. This is a truly
spectacular event that anyone who is remotely interested in Pinot Noir and
great summer events must attend. It’s a picnic for Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir enthusiasts.
And it truly is international with
featured Pinot Noir producers attending from all corners of the globe. As of
yet, we have not had any intergalactic Pinot Noir producers, but the
International Space Station did a few fly-overs during the event. You can find
the best times to view their orbit from your locale here: http://www.isstracker.com/
Things being what they are, we had
representation from some of the best growing regions in Europe. You may know
them as Austria, France, Germany and Italy. That is because when Europe was
finding its footing these countries were continually shifting their boundaries.
When it was all said and done, they ended up with the countries and borders
that we see today. But what if…
Things worked out differently? Maybe
Napoleon did not go to Waterloo and instead opened a pastry shop (Pâtisserie)
or boulangerie? Maybe that great regional terroir would ultimately be
controlled by just two entities, let’s say Germany and Italy. Perhaps that
growing region would today be known as German-Italia. Kinda just rolls off the
tongue with a little practice. Sort of…
And if you are a fan of “Star
Trek into Wine Country” you may have the opportunity to soon read about a space-time
continuum rift in a “return from the future” episode. Visitors from the future
return to take vine cuttings and in so doing alter the course of Earth’s
history, and by definition, future. Will Pinot Noir become Pinot More? And is
Cabernet actually ready to drink with 1,200 years of bottle age?
No longer do the history books list these
specific countries, but just a single growing region is referenced –
German-Italia. Fortunately, a digital Vinous archive was also appropriated and
brought to the future. The Holodeck is then used to recreate Earth’s past
vinous history.
And who could have known that the Borg
would make such great vineyard workers? Why there is one now mounted up to the
front of Ernie’s tractor.
Enough of this nonsense, we have real work
to do. In about 60 days’ time, depending on Mother Nature’s mood, we will
commence The Great Cluster Pluck of Vintage 2019. If we can maintain a 25
furlong per fortnight speed, we should end up there just about right on schedule.
Kindest Regards,
Dena & Ernie
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