Timing is everything

This is the time in winemaking when all-or-nothing wagers are placed on the best moment to harvest grapes and transform the fruit into wine. Will the good weather last long enough to assure sugar and acid levels as well as the appearance and general health of the winemaker’s grapes?

Think of the weather over the last month in the County. Would you have gambled that a few days of rain would be followed by sunny days to further ripen the grapes? What if your grapes were under fungal pressure? Further rainfall could have an extremely negative effect, and you might lose everything. And there are other variables in play. The varietal can often determine when the grapes should be harvested—more tolerant grapes, like Cabernet Sauvignon, might lose their liveliness if not allowed hang on the vine. In a hotter climate, you may need to harvest in the early morning or, indeed, at night, using machines to illuminate the vine as they shake off the berries. In this mass-produced type of case, it is not unusual for the grapes to be chilled in storerooms until they are ready to be processed.

Depending on the size of the estate, you may further decide to harvest by hand. This is de rigueur for the great estate wines of Bordeaux, Piedmont, Tuscany, Burgundy and so many others. Under the direction of the winemaker and vineyard manager, harvesting by hand assures that only the prime clusters are selected and any suspect fruit is discarded. Year after year, the same teams of seasonal pickers are drawn from eastern Europe to harvest the grapes of the great estates of France, and, to a lesser degree, Italy. Although very expensive, the greatest wine producers retain these crews, since the veteran pickers are familiar with the requirements of estate.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
I finally managed to visit to the recently opened Traynor Family Vineyard, located where Danforth Road meets Loyalist Parkway, just east of Hillier. This is yet another familyowned- and-operated endeavour where parents, son and daughter-in-law all take part in the preparation of two white wines. Their winery is powered by solar panels, making it the third County winery to be off the grid.

Due to the youth of their vines, they make wine from Niagara fruit. The 2013 Chardonnay is a mouthful of marzipan and fine acidity, but I am drawn to the 2013 Pinot Gris for the mouth feel—as well as the spicy tingle that it imparts on the tongue.

Both wines will be available for $19.95 at the tasting room for the next two weekends. After that the winery closes for the season. Traynor’s will ship the wine, however, if you email traynorfamilyvineyard@gmail.com.