October 22, 2013
The Hazlitt Three Point Check System
Our 2010 Cabernet Franc did very well in the judges eyes, so naturally, we are excited to see these grapes arrive to the press deck. In previous posts, you've seen the grapes pour into the hopper, get de-stemmed, crushed and pressed. But did you know that there is a secret process that happens before all that, which makes our wine taste so good?
It's the Hazlitt Three Point Check System. It begins with our fearless leader, our Winemaker, Michael Reidy stepping in for inspection. Here is how the process works...
First, Michael gets a grip, literally. That's Cabernet Franc in the hands of an award winning Winemaker right there. He's inspecting the produce that our Vineyard Manager, John Santos, just brought back from the farms.
That's John, err, well the back of his head at least. He's in the middle of step number two, the smell test. It's important to make sure these cabs are at their freshest and ripest state. He can tell that from their fruitful aromas.
And last but certainly not least, the taste test. John really gets into this one. There you have it. A sneak peak into the TLC that goes into each wine we produce here at Hazlitt's. Cheers!
October 4, 2013
Pinot Noir: The Sensitive Bunch
After we picked our Pinot Noir, it's seemingly more obvious why the phrase "Having a thick skin," means you are not easily tainted.
The Pinot is a thin skinned grape variety and it is generally believed that careful handling is required when working with Pinot grapes. Pinot Noir is widely considered to produce very fine wine, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine, so we hand-pick the clusters.
The name is derived from the French words for "pine" and "black" alluding to the grape variety's tightly clustered dark purple pine-cone shaped bunches of fruit. Its thin skin makes it susceptible to bunch rot and similar fungal diseases of the bunch.
The vines themselves are susceptible to powdery mildew and infection by leaf roll and fanleaf viruses causes significant vine health problems. These complications have given the grape a reputation for being difficult to grow.
But lucky for us, they are in very good hands. Scott, Greg and John to the rescue!
With this kind of TLC, we can almost guarantee the 2013 Pinot Noir will be one to remember!
September 27, 2013
Our Wine Making Crew Really Rocks!
If you don't mind, we'd like to boast for a minute. It's true, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards wins a lot of awards for our wines. Sometimes, you'll hear us referring to our winemaker and vineyard crew members as rockstars...but it's not simply because of their incredible skills in viticulture...
It's because of their incredible taste in music.
On this particular morning, while Sauvignon Blanc grapes are being poured into the hopper...
Vineyard Manager, John Santos, who was just doing this...
...is now doing this. We like to think head banging to rock music is part of why there is an extra taste of fun in every bottle.
Getting back to business, now that the Sauvignon Blanc grapes have all been poured into the hopper...
...Winemaker, Michael Reidy, (in his rockstar shades) watches to make sure the grapes enter the crusher/de-stemmer correctly.
Co-CEO, Doug Hazlitt, stops by to see how things are going. Hi Doug!
Hi Robert! Notice Robert's iPod, he's got some sweet jams coming out of there too.
The juice and skins leave the crusher/de-stemmer and then go through this tube...
The juice and skins enter this press through the tube...
It's raining Sauvignon Blanc! Now THAT's a reason to jam out!
Rock on boys!
September 20, 2013
What puts the White in White Stag?
The last official day of summer was a gorgeous morning on the Lameroux Farm!
See these deliciously ripe grapes? They are vignoles and immediately after this picture we're plucked from the vine.
Vineyard Manager, John Santos, is behind the wheel of the grape picker. (If you look closely, you can see him waving.)
As the grape picker picks the grapes, they are dropped into crates that sit on a tractor, which is driven by our vineyard crew. In this photo, Robert Daniel is driving the tractor.
This is John Beckhorn, he also works in the vineyards. He's taking filled crates of the picked vignoles back to the winery.
Off they go! Once they return to the winery they will be placed on a trailer where they will be towed to our Naples, NY location.
When the grapes reach our Naples, NY location, they will be used in the blend that creates our liquid sunshine, White Stag! It will then be bottled and served at your next tasting in either our Hector, NY or Naples, NY location. Won't you visit us soon?
P.S. That's Holly behind the famous horseshoe bar. She's a total sweetheart and is filled with knowledge on things like the grape weasel. Stop in and ask her about it!
P.S. That's Holly behind the famous horseshoe bar. She's a total sweetheart and is filled with knowledge on things like the grape weasel. Stop in and ask her about it!
September 10, 2013
Another Round of Samples
Robert stopped into the offices yesterday on his way to deliver freshly picked Sauvignon Blanc samples to Michael, our winemaker. There are 200 grapes in that bag. As you previously read in our last blog entry, the juice from these grapes will go through a series of tests. The results from these tests will give Michael and our vineyard manager, John Santos, a better idea of when each varietal can be picked for this year's harvest.
Monday, September 2, 2013
How Sweet It Is...or Isn't...
Today, Michael Reidy, Winemaker of our award winning viniferas, tested samples of Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner, and Sauvignon Blanc. While in the lab, he gathered data from the juice of these varietals to grasp how long these grapes have left on the vine before they get picked for this year's harvest.
Judging from the numbers, our vineyard team will wait a few more weeks before picking these varietals. We had a lot of rain over night, which will affect sugar levels, and could set picking back a bit longer than anticipated.
Next, Michael read the PH levels to test for tartness. Lastly, he tested for titratable acidity, which, as it sounds, reveals how acidic each of the juices are. This process of sampling will continue throughout harvest until the grapes are ready to be picked.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Gearing Up For Harvest!
It’s that time of year again, if you can believe it! A few of the white wine grapes are already off the vines and the Finger Lakes are buzzing about harvest 2013.
Farming grapes has always been a major part of our family history. Just as we share our wine with you, we'd love it if we could share the experience of harvest with you all first hand. We’re collecting daily updates, photos, videos and commentary from our vineyard team across all four of our farms, to create a Harvest 2013 story that you can follow along with.
Be sure to check back there for regular updates.
Farming grapes has always been a major part of our family history. Just as we share our wine with you, we'd love it if we could share the experience of harvest with you all first hand. We’re collecting daily updates, photos, videos and commentary from our vineyard team across all four of our farms, to create a Harvest 2013 story that you can follow along with.
Be sure to check back there for regular updates.