We bought a refractometer today. Boy do we feel like official vintners. The temperatures have climbed and so have the brix in the grapes. Dave and I went out to our main grape grower to check on levels and tested several clusters.
A winemaker judges when to pick the grapes based on a couple of things but brix are the sugar levels in the grapes and that is what the refractometer measures. The brix levels were rising but we hope that the grapes can hang a little longer so they can mature more. The seeds are green and they should be brown. We are hoping for a cool spell to let them settle down a little more.
We are trying to pin down our grapes for the harvest and it is a bit like a moving target. We had a handshake deal on the Choo-Choo zin, but that fell apart. We had found someone who thought they would have some extra Viognier but the crop came in light so we didn't. Never fear, it's a small town and word gets out and the phone rings and low and behold we have Viognier being picked tomorrow. We just contracted with Fess Parker for the other grapes for our Tres Blanc so that is good. Everyone cross fingers that the reds get the hang time they need and harvest goes smoothly. I wonder who the patron saint of the vineyards is?
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