Picking Time Approaches

September 3, 2013–Recent visitors to the winery have been struck by the vivid colors in the grapes.  They appear ripe and ready to pick.  People are surprised to hear that we have several weeks left until harvest of most varieties.  Although the birds and other wildlife find the grapes desirable for nibbling right now, winemakers know to be patient for the sugars, acids and flavors to reach the optimum levels before harvesting.

The grapes appear a bit more plump than usual this year, and we expect yields to be up due to the extra rainfall we’ve experienced through most of the growing season.  But more rain doesn’t necessarily mean less intense flavor.  The leafy canopy of the vines has grown vigorously from all the rain, too, meaning more surface area for photosynthesis to ripen the grapes.  And the cool nights we’ve started experiencing the past couple of weeks promote outstanding flavor development.

We are optimistic for a good quality harvest this year at Silver Thread.  Due to our lower-than-average vineyard yields and close proximity to the lake, we harvest most varieties slightly earlier than other vineyards in the region.  We expect to get underway with Pinot Noir around September 15 (pictured above).  If you visit the tasting room between now and the end of October, you will most likely view some aspect of winemaking in progress.  It’s an exciting time and we look forward to another benchmark year for Silver Thread!

Riesling grapes will be ready to harvest mid-October.