Old Town Crier, September 2007 Issue
Exploring Virginia Wines by Doug Fabbioli

Anticipation! Is it time to pick the grapes yet? Patience is the key to growing grapes for quality wines here in VA. The color of the fruit is dark, the flavors are bright and deep, but the fruit is still not ready. The birds are starting to peck at the berries, causing damage that could get worse. Hurricane season is looming over the region threatening us with heavy rains and strong winds, but the fruit is still not ready. If the fruit is picked too early, the wine will end up with a green character up front and hard tannins in the finish. By the time that wine ages to a point where those hard edges have aged away, the fruit flavors have disappeared also. So we wait, taking samples twice a week to test the acid, sugar, pH and flavor profiles. We look at the seed color for browning and the stems for how they hold onto the fruit. When we determine that the fruit is close, then we consider the storms coming into the region, the schedule of winery for receiving the fruit and the labor schedule for harvesting crews. All of our fruit is picked by hand along with most of the fruit in VA. Timing, planning and managing are important tools now to bring that fruit to the winery.

Blend and Bottle
One thing the winery needs is space. Many wineries work like me where they will bottle wines just before harvest in order to make space for the new vintage. Things seem to all run together at this point. On one side, efforts are being made to finish blends, filter, receive packaging materials and prepare to bottle while on the other side, crush equipment is being cleaned and prepped, grape samples are being tested and yeasts are starting to arrive to turn the sugars into alcohol. When I manage this is it called multitasking or ADD?

Fruit Wines
When I first arrived in VA, one of the first wines I made was from blackberries for a popular wine at Tarara Winery, the Wild River Red. Little did I know that that experience would bring me to our most popular wine, the Raspberry Merlot. The thought that all wines should come from Vinifera grapes is an interesting thought but with the trend towards flavored vodkas, and thinking out of the box, it is only natural that winemakers expand their efforts into other fruits. The trick with these wines is to rely on the flavors for style rather than the sugar. When you are out at a winery that does a fruit wine, try it. You may be surprised.

Consulting
I have been consulting in the northern VA wine industry for 7 years now. It always amazes me how some folks are willing to get into an industry that they know very little about, spend tens of thousands of dollars on materials and labor, and not be interested in paying an expert to help them do it right. To me it seems like buying the parts to a very expensive car but not getting the instructions on how to put it together and operate it. I want this industry to thrive here. I want healthy vineyards, wineries and businesses that will offer fabulous wine to the customers for many generations to come. The basis to all of this is in starting off right. All boats lift in a rising tide and many of us are in the same school of thought. Learn as much as you possible can before spending the big money in a vineyard or winery. This is not a get rich quick scheme. This is generational farming and production. Starting out right is the key. Thanks for listening to me and we will see you at the winery.