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December 21, 2011
Winter Solstice
Tomorrow night we celebrate the winter solstice here at Crane Creek. This has, and always will be, one of my favorite events of the year. The big bonfire, the great food and all the great friends of the vineyard that attend this event every year are part of what makes it great. Sometimes is raining, sometimes snowing, many times temperatures are way down into the teens, but it never seems to deter anyone. Winter solstice, the longest night of the year, has another, more important significance which I love.
The nights after solstice will slowly shorten and the days lengthen. As with anyone who works with the land and with the seasons, winter solstice has a magical hold on us. With our forbears, the lengthening of the days following winter solstice was reassurance that spring and summer will arrive once again, another growing season, and another bounty to feed one's family and one's clan for yet another year.
Even though today we understand the wonders of the celestial dance of the earth around the sun, which cause our seasons, to me that does not make it any less magical, any less awe inspiring. The lengthening days after solstice are once again the fulfillment of nature's promise of renewal and rebirth.
Celebration of the Winter Solstice has always been an important celebration for man, especially the northern Europeans. Many of the traditions we associate with Christmas are but in fact vestiges of our pagan celebration of solstice. Decorated trees, Yule logs, boughs of holly and other greens, even the giving of gifts all were part of the pre-Christian solstice celebration. The early Christian Church in fact over laid the Christmas celebration (no one really knows for sure what exact date Jesus was born) onto Solstice, hoping to deemphasize the pagan aspects of the season. (In ancient times, Solstice was celebrated on or about the 25th. Due to the rudimentary time measurements of the time, it took a few days after the true solstice for the lengthening days to be perceived). To this day the Christian and Pagan traditions remain firmly entwined.
At Crane Creek Vineyards the vines are bare and empty, apparently lifeless, this gloomy late December afternoon. Looking at them now it is difficult to believe in only five months they will once again be renewed; green and filled with the blossoms of the fruit to come.
Just as we understand, and more importantly, feel the importance of the solstice, I know the vines deep down in their souls, in their DNA, feel the winter solstice and understand their place in this world and this universe.
Eric Seifarth
November 22, 2011
Malo-lactic Fermentation - What Is It and Why Do We Do It?
This is the time of year that we are focused on malo-lactic (M-L) fermentation in the winery, particularly with the reds. M-L fermentation is a less known but no less important part of the evolution of grapes into wine. Most of us are familiar with sugar fermentation. This critical process is the conversion of sugar into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide by wine yeast.
But in many wines, we then elect to encourage a second fermentation, which, unlike sugar fermentation, is achieved with the help of bacteria, not a yeast spore. M-L bacteria convert the sharp, tart malic acid found in the grapes into lactic acid (found in milk). Lactic acid is a softer, smoother, almost buttery acid. Lactic acid tends to soften big red wines and create a smoother mouth feel. Likewise, malo-lactic fermentation is often done in whites. A classic example of these styles is California Chardonnays. These wines exhibit the buttery offerings which were so popular in the late eighties and nineties out of Napa and Sonoma.
Years ago, malo-lactic fermentation tended to be a spontaneous event in French wine cellars. The malo-lactic bacteria was entrenched in wineries and in the cooperage used to make and store wine. Quite often M-L fermentation proceeded without the assistance of the winemaker, wanted or not.
As winery sanitation has improved over the years, spontaneous M-L fermentation was a controllable event and much more rare. Now the winemaker can make a conscious decision to allow a M-L fermentation to initiate. Additionally there are now different M-L bacteria strains now isolated which give the winemaker even greater stylistic control.
M-L fermentation, unlike sugar fermentation, is a slow and subtle process. It is much more dependent on low sulfite levels in the wine and warmer temperatures in the cellar. As we wait for the process to conclude, we are monitoring the wines through chromatography. In order to ensure a conducive environment for the M-L bacteria to grow and flourish, we are also more greatly exposing the wine to other unwanted spoilage organisms such as vinegar bacteria.
It is an anxious time when the wines are closely watched and sampled. When testing finally indicates the process is complete, normally for us here at Crane Creek, in late December, the wine can then be safely tucked away in the cellar, relatively safe from harm.
Eric Seifarth
November 11, 2011
Morning Frost
This morning brought the latest of three killing frosts to the vineyard since the end of October. The last of the leaves left on the vines are brown, crispy and hanging on for dear life on this blustery day. Soon it will only be the bones of the vines, exposed to the winter cold. As with life in general, "there is a season..." Shedding of the leaves signals to the vine to retreat their sap to the root mass far below the ground. The portion of the vine above the ground contains only the freeze-resistant fluids that will keep the vine viable well into the lower single digit temperatures of January and February.
Once in a while you will get an abnormally warm October, then risk a very hard freeze in November. This occurred in 2000. A balmy October allowed the vines to go into November with significant viable leaf coverage. Then came a hard freeze into the lower teens. There was significant trunk damage on the less cold hardy varieties, especially Cabernet Franc, which were still full of sap. For the next number of years, crown gall, which invades the cracks in the trunks, killed these vines, slowly and insidiously.
So, it pleases me when we have a very "normal" fall, as we have had this year, and the vines can safely go into deep dormancy.
Walking through the vineyards, I am itching to get out and start pruning and get the vines in shape for next spring. But we will wait until after Christmas, as is our tradition here at Crane Creek, and focus on the numerous post-harvest tasks still left to do.
Eric Seifarth
October 30, 2011
2011 Harvest
So ends another harvest season. This has been a tough year in the vineyard.
A very promising April was laid low by a late severe frost on May 12th.
There was 100% damage to the new shoots and a long wait to see which
varieties would recover with some crop. As it turned out, most of the French
American hybrids came back at 60-70% but most of the vinifera (European
varieties) were almost a 100% loss. In the end we lost 40-50% of our crop.
So... this year we took advantage of the fact that our colleagues in
vineyards further south missed this frost and in fact had large harvests
this year. We more than made up for our losses in purchases of other Georgia
and North Carolina fruit. The winery is full and there will be lots of wine
in the 2012 and 2013 releases.
Being the first tough spring frost in many years, our frost protection had
become a bit complacent. This season we took the opportunity to really
integrate an active frost protection program along with our in-place,
passive program. A passive program includes practices like long cane, double
pruning, low cut vineyard floors and variety selection, things you do well
before a frost event. These practices have held us in good stead in the
past, and we will continue to do them. Active practices are things you do
during a frost event. The most significant of these being a new wind machine
which was installed earlier in the fall, and will complement our Frost
Dragon on chilly spring mornings.
As November approaches in just a couple of days and the last of the foliage
is about to give it up for the year (one of the prettiest falls in years), I
am looking forward to the quiet of the winter ahead. Late fall is a great
time to attack postponed projects here at the vineyard before it gets too
cold. The pace of work in the winery has also slowed, and time can be spent
working closely with the 2011 vintage as the final malolactic fermentations
conclude.
Winter also brings time for non-winery activities like some serious cooking,
getting out on hikes (which I do not nearly take enough advantage of),
sailing on blissfully empty Lake Chatuge, and traveling. April will be here
soon enough and with it the new season, but as Scarlett said, "I'll think
about tomorrow".
Eric Seifarth
January 19, 2011
Winter Pruning
Now the pruning season starts in earnest. In the next three month or so, every single one of the thousands of vines here at Crane Creek will be individually evaluated, rough pruned, reevaluated and fine pruned. Each vine gets an average of 10-15 minutes of intense attention during the winter and spring.
What are we doing? We are attempting to establish, in each and every vine, the perfect balance of fruit to foliage in the next growing season. Too many fruitful buds and the vine will be over cropped and will yield substandard fruit. Too many sterile buds and the vine will be out of balance and be putting out far too much foliage and too little fruit. A balanced vine is the perfect equilibrium of leaves to fruit clusters giving us fruit of the right quality to produce the wines we want to make.
It takes a good eye to evaluate each vine for its potential. Some old vines which have had problems may need the "tough love" of a brutal pruning to get it back in shape, even if it means a missed year of grape production. Young vines need some direction in their evolving shape and configuration to maximize potential in their future years. Most only need a subtle, careful pruning to get them back to shape.
We generally start with rough prune in dead winter. We will take last season's fruiting canes to about 7-10 inches. Additionally we will remove completely, misplaced canes and spurs. Dead wood that would be a start point for rot and decay will also be removed.
In early spring we go back to the vines and do the final, detailed prune to set the number of buds per spur to retain as the current vintage's fruiting canes.
Pruning season it a quiet time in the vineyard. Generally two to three of us are out there at a time. There is little talk except perhaps as we pass each other on adjoining rows. Although I do not get out pruning as much as I used to or as often now as I would like, It is a thoughtful time for me when I spend a lot of time reviewing the good and bad of the previous vintage and develop my plans and goals for the vintage ahead.
Eric Seifarth
January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
When does the vintage begin? There are a lot of different opinions out there among winemakers. Some think it starts the day the last of the previous year's grapes are harvested. Some think it's at bud break the next season. To me it starts right at New Year's Day.
Out in the vineyard now the vines are in deep dormancy. The tortured trunks and last year's fruiting canes are starkly rattling in the winter wind. With more than 15 years in the business, it still amazes me that these lifeless looking vines will burst forth once again in new growth in about 4 months.
Along with the New Year comes a new level of excitement for me. Today, at this moment, in the dormant, sleeping, vines is the potential for the best vintage ever. This year the vines will be pruned to perfection. This year the spring will be mild and there will be no late frosts. At blossom and berry set the rains will hold off and the weather will be balmy. Infrequent but substantial summer rains will taper off to nothing by August and the fall will be long, dry, and magnificent! The grapes will hang until they reach perfection and will not ask to be harvested until their earlier ripening siblings are safely picked and crushed.
We can always dream... but who knows, maybe this year?
With the New Year and the specter of returning to work, a friend of mine confessed on Facebook that if they won the lottery they would quit their jobs in a minute. Now, don't get me wrong, I have been there in my past, in previous jobs and previous lives.
But I can say now I am so blessed to have a job and a life that I would not trade for anything. Every morning I wake up excited about what I am going to accomplish today. I am blessed with a wonderful and supportive wife and family and I am also blessed to be able to work with the best people in the world here at the vineyard. Now, I would love to win the lottery, but I would use the money to improve and grow Crane Creek Vineyards to the distant dream that I want for this place. That being said, I would still wake up every morning and love what I was to do that day.
To me, January and February can be some of the most beautiful months in the vineyard. The gray, bare hills of the Blue Ridge rising to blend into the gray skies set a mood and tone of restful renewal. A snowy morning waking through the vines in muffled silence still takes my breath away. Every one of my vines are my babies, safely sleeping under their blankets of snow.
I think January and February in the Tasting Room hold a charm all to itself. The crowds of the fall and the holiday season are long gone and the staff is relaxed and laid back. It's a time of planning, introspection and thoughts of the year ahead. Long winter afternoons can be spent with a good friend, a bowl of soup and a glass of wine in front of the fire.
To all of you, our wonderful friends and customers, thanks for your support and business in 2010 and we hope to see you all back in 2011. Best to all and Happy New Year!
Eric Seifarth
October 21, 2010
The 2010 crush is history.
It's over! The 2010 crush is history. The last time we came this close to the optimal conditions we had at harvest this year was 2000. Here is hoping we won't have to wait another decade!
Monday past, the last of the fruit passed through the destemmer/crusher and with it the end of a great growing season. This year Crane Creek brought in over 83 thousand pounds of fruit. Comparing back to our first harvest in 1997 of 300 pounds, we have come a long way. In just a few more days, all the fruit will be out of fermenters and safely tucked away in barrels and tanks for their long winter's sleep. Kudos to Matt Matteson, my assistant wine maker. Matt has done yoemans work this crush with many long and late hours in the winery. (I really need to thank Matt's wife Natasha!)
Now it's the Tasting Room staff in the hot seat! A beautiful October brings the multitude from Atlanta, Chattanooga, Greenville and beyond. The wine bars at the tasting room will be hopping! This Saturday the 23rd is our Annual Harvest Festival and we are expecting a great crowd!
Even though we have the whole holiday season ahead of us, the vineyard guys are already planning and prepping to kick off the pruning season starting in December. In addition, there will be prepping for the spring planting of about 4 more acres of vines. As always there is much to do, but we wouldn't have it any other way!
Eric Seifarth
October 6, 2010
Harvest is over!
We finished the year up with the Cabernet Sauvignon on Saturday. This has been a record year in two areas. First, it was our earliest finish in fifteen years, wrapping it up on October 2nd. Next it was our heaviest yield ever, topping the scales at almost 42 tons of fruit. We now have a winery chock full to the gills with wine.
Some standouts for 2010? Well, I am very pleased with the Seyval this year; I actually sneak samples of it with the very loosest of justification. The Chambourcin from one of our new sites is looking really good. We have almost 2000 gallons to play with this year. About 1100 will go to our ever popular, and obligatory, Mountain Harvest Red, but I have about 800 gallons undergoing extended maceration (leaving the wine soaking on the skins for an extended period following fermentation to extract and soften the tannins) and am excited about releasing a varietal offering under the barn swallow label.
On a much lighter note, the Catawba for the Christmas “nouveau” release is looking pretty darn good.
Russ and I will be out on the new acreage tomorrow surveying out the rows for this spring’s plantings. 2011 plantings will mostly involve increasing acreage of existing varietals (Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Seyval Blanc). I am toying with the idea of putting in a little Sauvignon Blanc…
Finally, I was able to get out and do some bush hogging today, (which I love but seem to have less and less time to do), at the top of some of our new acreage. At one point, looking out over the farm, Brasstown Bald and the ranges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, stretching out as far as the eye could see, on this breathtakingly clear and crisp early October day, I was hard pressed to think of a single, solitary, place I would rather be, right now, on the entire planet.
Eric Seifarth
September 26, 2010
All the Chambourcin is in!
The final tally was 20,108 pounds, over 10 tons of fruit. As I write this the rain is falling and I know all those grapes have been fermenting away safely in the winery. The winery crew has been myopically focused on the wine making side of things while the tasting room staff has been holding down the fort. My intention in this journal is to focus on the vineyard and winery but those folks allow us to focus. Jacky and David had a triple header last weekend, two weddings and a rehearsal dinner. Every one of them was a home run. The professionalism of those guys lets me do what I need to do with no worries.
Next week, Catawba and Cabernet Sauvignon… Then we finish up with Norton the following week. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Eric Seifarth
September 17, 2010
Pulled the Cabernet Franc
Pulled the Cabernet Franc yesterday. I believe it was the prettiest fruit we have picked in the last ten years.
Half way through the harvest and things are clicking like a well oiled machine. We have settled in to a good bunch to pickers this year. They know what to do and they get at it. About four tons of Cab Franc was pulled in about 4 hours. Then the winery crew got the fruit processed and safely tucked away be for dark. I love it at this stage of the season. Everyone has their job down cold, no missteps or fumbles, just serious wine making. It really reminds me of my previous life in the military. I am proud of both Russ my vineyard manager and Matt my assistant winemaker; they both got it going on!
We have a little break today and Saturday, and then we will be bottling the Enotah White on Sunday to free up some tank space. Then off to Tiger Ga, just outside of Clayton, on a "field trip" on Monday to pick about two more tons of Cab Franc at Stack Vineyards. I just looked at the fruit this morning and it looks great. This will be our first year sourcing grapes from Bill Stack, think it will be a great addition to our Claret!
Eric Seifarth
September 14, 2010
Welcome to the Winemaker's Journal
For the last number of years, I have wanted to maintain a journal on the vineyard and winery. That being said, my few attempts through the
years have never made it too far. I am hoping in that doing it in a journal format on the website and the Vineyard's Facebook page it will
motivate me to keep at it. Or at least get Jacky to get me to keep at it.
So here goes...
With this journal I hope to keep a somewhat steady flow of information of what is happening in the vineyard and the winery from season to
season. Hope you all find this journal informative and that it connects you all, our friends and customers, a little closer to Crane Creek.
Halfway through harvest 2010. We have finished up with the whites and are in that quiet "eye of the storm" before we get going with the
reds at the end of the week. I cannot believe that this is my 10th harvest. Every year it is just as exciting and nerve wracking. The
conditions have been near darn perfect this year. Dry as a bone through the white harvest. I always worry about the Vidal Blanc in dry
years. A heavy rain at the end of the season can cause splitting and cracking. As it was, the day after we got the Vidal in we got a
nice 3/4 inch of rain, just enough to refresh the reds and push the harvest date out another week. I was talking to Jane Garvy, a wine
writer out of Atlanta, about the incredible harvest season, and was wondering when we would get our sucker punch… who knows, maybe we
will dodge the bullet this year.
In the winery all is going well. The Seyval is completed fermentation and is safely racked away. Chardonel, Traminette and Vidal are chugging
along happily. This has been a vintage with virtually no intervention at the crush pad at all. All the grapes have come in almost spot on
in the "numbers", sugar, acid and pH. As a result the fermentations have been clean, steady and uneventful, just what I like!
The week ahead we will be harvesting Villard Noir, which we craft into our Rosé, followed by the Chambourcin which produces our
ever popular Mountain Harvest Red. Our new vineyard at our leased property at "Monte Vigna" (Vineyard Mountain) will be harvested
for the first time this year which will almost triple our previous production level of Chambourcin. That's a good thing! The grapes look
great and my vineyard manager and I have been brainstorming the logistics of transporting them to the winery.
So keep your fingers crossed for us and here's to a great Vintage!
Eric Seifarth
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