Missouri Grape Harvest: Destemmed

with Jason Gerke 

Machine harvest at a Missouri winery. Photo courtesy of Missouri Wine's Flickr account.

Missouri grape harvest is the beginning of something wonderful: the crafting of delicious wine! The anticipation of plucking the plump, juicy grapes off the vines builds during the summer months and culminates with harvest - this year beginning as early as July for some Missouri wineries. Missouri Grape Growers Association President Jason Gerke of Jowler Creek Winery gives us some insight into harvest in the Midwest.

When is the typical Missouri grape harvest?
Harvest actually spans several months in Missouri depending on the grape variety in question and geographic location. Many white grape varieties have shorter growing seasons and are therefore ready for picking somewhere around mid-to-late-August. Some of the most popular red grape varieties have longer growing seasons and are harvested in September and October.
 
What are the first few steps of harvest?
Grapes are tested as they ripen to identify sugar and acid levels. When harvest day arrives, grapes are removed by hand or by machine. Cool grapes are most desirable so picking is done as early in the day as possible. When hand harvesting, the entire cluster is snipped from the vine to be removed from the stems later.

How has the extremely hot summer affected the crops or the timing of harvest this year?
Many Missouri vineyards experienced an early harvest this season due to an early spring and an abundance of hot, sunny days throughout the growing period. Severe drought challenged many growers, especially those with new or young vines. Mature vines have deep roots and could reach down for illusive
water reserves. For many, the warm, dry air resulted in good fruit quality. Eventually, however, the triple digit temperatures and prolonged drought took its toll on vine growth and berry size.

Are there different types of harvesting? Is one method better than the other?
Grapes can be harvest by hand, usually using small pruning shears and "snipping" the entire cluster free from the vine. There are also mechanical harvesting machines that can be used on larger vineyards to efficiently get the grapes off the vine. These machines often straddle the trellis and "shake" the grapes free from the vines. They can also enable night harvest to ensure cooler fruit into the winery. Industry leading research at the University of Arkansas has shown that both methods of harvesting can result in premium quality wines.
   
How do you know when the grapes are ready to harvest?
Many factors are considered such as taste, seed color and pH, but the two primary factors are sugar level and acid level within the grape itself.

How is the process different for red and white grapes?
If you peel the skin off a red grape and peel the skin off a white grape, they will basically look the same. So it is only by having contact with the skin that a red wine can acquire its red or purple hue. Contact with the skin also enables the wine to attain richer flavors, tannins and textures. Therefore, juice destined for red wine is fermented on the skins and seeds. Most white wines are light, fruity and crisp and are preferred to have very little or no skin contact. Therefore, they are separated or "pressed" from their skins and seeds prior to fermentation. 

Crust:

1-1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup crushed peanuts

1 egg

5 Tablespoons cold water

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the shortening into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. With a food processor, crush peanuts until they are a coarse mixture. Add to shortening and flour mixture and combine. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Recipe is enough for three pie crusts.

Pie Filling:

5 to 6 cups Concord (or any dark purple skinned) grapes, rinsed

3/4 cup sugar

4 1/2 to 5 teaspoons cornstarch

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove skins from grapes by pinching the ends of each grape, reserving both the pulp and skins separately. Place pulp in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until the seeds separate from the pulp and the pulp breaks down, about 6 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into the bowl with the reserved skins; discard solids. Add in cornstarch and lemon juice. Return to pot and boil until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Add butter. Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake for 30-45 minutes until set. Let cool completely. Top with peanut butter whipped cream and serve.

Peanut Butter Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the peanut butter and cream. Add all of the ingredients together and, with a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip on medium low speed for about a minute. Once the peanut butter has broken up, increase the speed to medium high. Whip until the cream holds medium stiff peaks.

If you thought this recipe sounded good ...

... just wait until you see what else we have in store for you! Starting next month, we will start featuring the winning recipes from the Cooking With Missouri Wine competition from the State Fair. This delicious pie is just the beginning!

How long have you been making wine?

"Thirteen years."

How and where did you learn to make wine?

"I learned on the job at Stone Hill Winery where I worked in the cellars, and here at Adam Puchta Winery where I started making the wine eight years ago. And plenty of independent study."

What did you do before becoming a winemaker?

"I was an organic vegetable grower in Santa Barbara, California."

Describe yourself in three words.

"Anything is possible."

What is your favorite wine to make?

"Last year our Chardonel had incredible fermentation aromas, so that was probably my favorite last year. But in general, I don't have a particular favorite."

What is the toughest challenge about winemaking in Missouri?

"Assuring high quality grapes are delivered to the crush pad on harvest day is high priority and challenging."

Is winemaking an art or a science? Or both? 

"Clearly both art and science. The science is pretty straight-forward; the art is more individual but includes the skill in which we apply the science."

What is your favorite food and wine pairing?

"I'm more interested in how wines stand alone, but it's good with food too."

If you didn't make wine, what would you do?

"I don't know. My wife would like to move back to the beach, so surfing in Todos Santos maybe."