For us here at Satek Winery, September means grapes.  Lots of grapes.  

Our workplace gets a whole lot more scenic now.  We get to spend much of the next two months in the vineyards. Bees notwithstanding, the vineyards are at their most beautiful, covered in full foliage and dripping with colorful fruit.  We hand-harvest all our grapes, which is very labor-intensive, but does give you a whole new appreciation of what goes into winemaking! 

DeChaunac grapes at our Lake James vineyard on Kreibaum Bay

It always piques my curiosity, seeing bin after bin of grapes being brought in from the vineyard:  How many grapes can you get from one vine?  How many from an acre of vines?  And then, how many bottles of wine can you get from an acre of grapes?  This curiosity has led me to compile the answers to these and similar questions, in a list I like to call "The Grapes of Math" (ok it probably makes more sense to call if The Math of Grapes, but then it wouldn't be so catchy, right?).  Commit these to memory, if you like, and impress people at the next cocktail party you attend!  Just be sure to have a glass of wine in hand for full effect...

The Grapes of Math

Pounds of grapes produced by one vine: 8-12

Vines per acre: 500-1300

Tons of grapes per acre of vines: 1.5 - 4

Age of a vine before producing useful grapes: 3

Age of a vine before full production: 5

Productive lifetime of a vine: 30-35 years (although the quality can remain good, the yield begins to decrease after that)

Grape clusters in a bottle: 4-5

Grapes in a bottle: 500-600

Clusters on a vine: 40

Pounds of grapes in one 750 ml bottle: 2.8

Gallons of wine produced from 1 ton of grapes: 150

Bottles (750 ml) per vine: 4-6

Bottles per ton: 500-700

Glasses per acre: 16,000

Mind-boggling, isn't it?

Sláinte!

-Chrissie

To describe the 2011 growing season--things were rather strange.

After surprisingly remarkable fruit set in a soggy squishy May, our vines look better than ever.   June was decently warm and humidity was down.  July, we all remember, was a scorcher, and very dry.  Systematic leaf pulling--our vineyard management regimen-- along with some luck from Mother Nature, should equate to a top notch summer.  We expect things to ripen soon, one of the earliest on record.  I think the birds and deer know this too.  

Blueberries did not fare so well in such an unusual growing season.  The May rain led to pollination problems and the initial crops were drastically reduced.  The hot July made pickers struggle removing blueberries cleanly from the bush, leaving many bruised, torn berries, and uneven ripening.  We apologize to all the fans, but it looks like Blueberry wine may not be around this year. 

On a better note, Gary Stroh's apple orchard, just south of Fremont, looks splendid!  The crunchy cool nights will add dimensions of flavors to the many apple varieties available.  We expect Autumn Classic, our Apple Wine, to be another knockout, and we should have much more.

In summary, although the 2011 growing season was peculiar, all the pieces are coming together.  Let's hope for a nice dry harvest, excellent fruit chemistry, and let the winemaking begin! 

- Shane Christ, head winemaker