I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

I have a small vineyard in my backyard. Depending on the weather, I can get 8-10 gallons of wine out of my grapes which are mostly Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few Syrah and Grenache vines in the mix. The Sangiovese grapes were already here when we bought the house growing in a wild profusion of tangled vines. The first year, I left them alone and just watched the grapes grow. I had no idea how to raise grapes or make wine. We picked enough grapes that first year to make 5 gallons of wine. I put the stomped grapes in a big open container in our living room and just let the wild yeast boil and bubble in an intense dance of passion. I might also add the alcohol given off by this process was enough to make me feel a little buzzed. I had no equipment other than the food grade plastic container I was using to ferment the grapes in and a 5 gallon glass carboy. I never took readings of the sugar content or the ph. And more importantly, I did not know the importance of cleaning all equipment in potassium metabisulfite. Well needless to say, this first attempt was a disaster of epic proportions.

I didn’t attempt to make wine again for about 7 years. I still wasn’t getting quality grapes but I was started to buy the equipment I needed to actually make the wine taste like something you would want to drink. In 2012, I bought a small grape press. That year was the best wine I ever made. Oh, it was a good weather year in California, and the grapes were bursting with sweet flavor. Still, I wasn’t getting consistent grape quality. Then I decided to really pay attention and observe the grapes to see what was working and what wasn’t. Oddly, my healthiest grapes received some afternoon shading. The ones in the full sun would tend to shrivel and dry before becoming sweet enough.

I had some cuttings growing in a deep wooden trough my husband built. They were robust in their little environment. I thought this was odd since they were growing inside a container. Finally just before their third year, we decided they needed to go into the ground as there were too many growing together. I thought, why not plant the strongest ones right here where they had been growing in the container. We dug a deep trough in the ground and planted the vines only two feet apart. Immediately they took off in the spring and became robust. The grapes they produced were big and juicy. The only difference was that this area received some afternoon shade. We planted the rest of the young vines in an area that gets full sun. Their grape quality was not as good. The grapes were small and without a lot of juice. And, most surprisingly, they were tarter than the shaded grapes.

This will be the second year for the new grapes to be in the ground. The old grapevines that were here when we moved in started to be more productive after we learned how to prune them. Now as I look out to the vineyard, the grapes are starting to form where flower clusters bloomed just a month ago. In August or September, the grapes will be ready to pick and this story will be continued.