Schweiger Vineyards News

“Purple haze all in my brain, lately things just don’t seem the same, Actin funny, but I don’t know why, scuse me while I kiss the sky, Purple haze all around.”
–Jimi Hendrix

Today we hit a significant benchmark in the life of the vine, veraison.  Veraison is that magical time when the berries begin to soften and turn color.  This marks the shift in the grapevine metabolism from berry growth to berry ripening.  We spotted the first of the Cabernet just starting today.  Out of curiosity, I went a little further out and found that it has also started on some of our new Malbec plantings. On any given cluster, about 2-3 berries were suddenly purple-ish, about 8 green/purple.  Over the next few days, they will rapidly all turn deep purple/black as the sugar now begins to accumulate in the fruit and the acidity starts to metabolize out.  According to textbooks…harvest is typically 45 days after the completion of veraison (which, depending on weather, will take 4-10 days after onset)…so…if that is true, based on averages (and those “oh so accurate” textbooks), we will begin harvest in the Gate block, right next to the road on September 9th.  Place yer bets ladies and gentlemen. –Andrew Schweiger

Oh happy day (oh happy day)
I’m talking about the happy days (oh happy day)
C’mon and talk about the happy days (oh happy day)
“Oh Happy day” –Edwin Hawkins singers

“Thank you, Thank you very much”
–Elvis Presely

“Tank you, Tank you very much”
–Andy Schweiger

Today is indeed a happy day!  Our four new fermentors were delivered to the winery this morning.  Visitors to our winery during harvest in years past may recall an odd assortment of dairy bins and harvest bins utilized for fermentation space.  These four new tanks are actually two different sizes, 50% and 75% the size of our existing fermentors.  Not only does this give us a nice variety of sizes, but all of our fermentors are now a 1::1 height to diameter ration, which allows a nice thickness of cap to form up, generating just enough heat to extract supple tannins.  I am excited not only about the increased quality potential these tanks will allow us, but also the ease in emptying these tanks come press time. –Andy Schweiger