Winemaker Journal: May 2013

Jeff Herinckx

What’s happening at the winery
It has been unbelievably warm here lately! The normal temperature for this time of year in this part of Oregon is 65, yet we’ve seen temperatures in the 80's already. A warm start to the growing season is a welcome change from what we’ve experienced for the past three years. We’re still not really able to make predictions about the crop until bloom, however. There’s still a lot that can happen, and weather is such an unpredictable variable. The weather is a big part of what makes it so much fun to make wine in Oregon.

We had a great time at the Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival. They had a fantastic turn-out this year. This is a family-friendly event where children are welcomed. This means that there isn’t as much partying going on, and it’s a more laid back atmosphere. It was really lots of fun.

We got some Frambrosia bottled last month, and we put the Toasted Cow red blend together. We also did lots of filtering:  Niagara, some Riesling, and the berry wines.

We’ve even managed to get some yard work done around the tasting room, which doesn’t normally happen until May or June. Thanks to the nice weather, we’re ahead of schedule on our outdoor spring cleanup.

Pinot Report
It’s time to pull all of the Pinot Gris vineyard lots from 2012 out of the barrels. We decided to blend them all together to create one 2012 Pinot Gris wine, and we’re really excited about it.

The 2012 Pinot Noir is shaping up to be better than 2010 or 2011 – there’s lots more fruit. We may make a single vineyard or Reserve wine. We’ll continue to taste the lots in order to make those decisions.

What’s going on in May
Since we did so much filtering last month, we have lots of bottling to do this month. We plan to bottle the Niagara first, then the Concord, then Deviant, and then more Niagara.

We’ll celebrate our 43rd anniversary on the weekend of May 18 and 19. There will be some nicely discounted wines available in the tasting room on both days. Please join us so we can celebrate you, our customers, who have been so instrumental in our longevity and success.

Memorial Day weekend will also be a fun time at the winery. Come see us at the winery on Saturday, Sunday or Monday for fun, food, music, wine, and discounts!

That's it for now...talk to you next month.

Jeff Herinckx
Winemaker

ARCHIVES

• April, 2013
• March, 2013
• February, 2013
• January, 2013
• December, 2012
• November, 2012