Paul Brock has always enjoyed wine making and is fairly new
to grape growing as the new owner of Silver Thread Vineyard. We were especially grateful that he brought
three bottles of wine to enjoy!
(Good Earth White, Gewurztraminer, Dry Riesling) Paul
explained the turtle on the label as it related to a stone carving found on
site in the Bronx Botanical Gardens. The
turtle image was carved in a rock beside one of New York’s woodland creeks by a Native
American artist many centuries ago. As an earth symbol to the Iroquois people,
the turtle reminds us to care for the land and water that give us the gift of
wine.
Paul told us about the Technology Farm
http://www.thetechnologyfarm.com/ near Geneva. The FLCC Viticulture and Wine Technology
center at the Cornell Agricultural Technology Farm is planned for a 2013
opening.
Paul spoke about
vitis riparia – a native species,
hardy to cold;
and vitis
aestivalis – local distribution especially along Rt 89 towards Ithaca and at Ganondagan
1829: Reverand William Bostwick planted the first vineyard
in the Finger Lakes in his garden rectory in
Hammondsport (Saint James)
1848: Edward McKay plants the first vineyard along Canandaigua Lake
Paul showed photos of Widmar wine tanks in Naples…likely to be turned into a museum.
Similar to apple trees – grafting is done to manage specific
grape varieties on strong rootstock.
Grape vines will live forever. Younger vines produce more grapes while older
vines produce better wine (vines know the soil).
Paul told us about the New York State’s
AVA (American Viticulture Areas)
Long
Island, Hudson Region, Finger Lakes Region, Lake
Erie, and Niagara Escarpment,
AVA is listed on a wine label to identify where that wine
came from (at least 85%)
Weather has a great influence on grape growing and the lakes
with their individual lake effects play a major role. Hardier grapes do well nearer the lake while
sensitive wines come from areas outside of lake effects. The Finger Lakes AVA has glacial soil. Soil characteristics can very widely. As an example there can be 8-10” of soil in
one area and 18” just 100 yards away.
Riesling is especially forgiving if you can get it to
grow. Chardonnay is an extremely
forgiving variety.
Canada
uses windmills due to rather flat growing areas for their grape vines.
Paul talked about how the weather has affected viticulture
in the Finger Lakes.
The spring
of 2011 was really wet, followed by a dry summer and then a really wet
fall.
Weather affects the taste of grapes
at harvest.
Factors of location and soil are
major contributors.
Leaves orientation to the sun
affect photosynthesis, sugaring, and stop/change metabolism.
Grapes have a 1 year reproductive
cycle and a 2 year development cycle
2012 has been a year of Water
versus Sunlight
Lodi saw LOTS of rain
Growing
degree days > heat accumulation
2011 was
warmer than normal meaning more fungus
Warm and
wet > fungus
Paul told
us about his Riesling fat white grapes split with juice.
Vitritus or
noble rot
Because Silver Thread is organically
managed they saw only 5-6% rot while traditional spray programs saw 50-60% rot.
Paul showed us tables with critical
temperatures for grapes indicating kill percentage for cold temperatures
affecting various growth stages.
Generally, bud break is not seen until May 1st. This year bud break occurred on March 22nd. The grape growing season is here…time will
tell whether it will be the longest or shortest growing season on record.
Paul invites us to please visit the Silver Thread tasting
Room along the eastern shore of Seneca Lake
http://silverthreadwine.com/ and also encourages us to meet his wife,
Shannon, who is a wine instructor at the New York Wine & Culinary Center
http://nywcc.com/
