Driving by the Wolffer Merlot vineyard, took this photo 9 October of hanging Merlot grapes. Wolffer typically picks the Merlot grapes toward the end of October.
Generally, have preferred the Merlot/Merlot blends, but the wines are pricey relative to quality, in my opinion.
Even though many had a slow start to the growing season this past Spring the near perfect summer sunshine and heat with timely rain cycles helped things move along well this year. We are picking our chenin blanc(22 brix) next Monday and that will be followed quickly by cabernet franc(~24brix) and then a decision on our cabernet sauvignon(22-24 brix). Our small experimental plot of barbera hit 25 brix last week and the acids have tamed down. The current nor’easter affecting our region should not diminish the fruit quality too much…fingers crossed. So I think there will be many special wines made in the 2019 northeast vintage.
You have Barbera growing? Chenin Blanc makes perfect sense and Charles Massoud makes a good one. Cab Franc too. But who’s making Barbera? Nice idea. Good luck!
The Massouds make wonderful chenin blancs. They really showed that this region can grow this versatile white grape with great results. Barbera is a peculiar grape variety in that sugars can climb pretty well in many climates but the acids are the real issue for getting a balanced wine. I’ve had this discussion with Steve Clifton(Palmina) and we agree that often in the US it is planted in hot areas where the night time temps go low. This does not give the acids a chance to mellow out for a balanced wine. Alice Wise(Cornell Extension Suffolk County, LI) has a plot of barbera in her experimental vineyard that reaches a good balance of sugar to acids in most years. The mid-Atlantic region is another area that should be good for barbera. Barboursville is probably the best known on the east coast for their barbera. Hopefully there are, or will be, others willing to give it a go.
Thanks for the report. But who do you work for?
Ourselves. Going through the licensing process right now. We aimed to get the viticulture right and a bit of the winemaking experience done before going commercial.
Good luck, Gary. The Massoud’s (Paumanok) do make wonderful Chenin Blanc, and other wines too. The North Fork hasn’t had a really good growing season (especially for the reds) since 2015.
A few more weeks of good weather and they should be in good shape.
If Charles or Kareem happen to see this it would be great if they could weigh in.