Blog Archives

Merry Christmas!

12/26/2010

1 Comment

12.9-12.10 Blizzard

This fine December afternoon called for course filtration of the La Crescent and Frontenac Gris wines to filter out any of the large particles. We also needed to test the sugars of our other ferments.

Testing the sugars...

First Filtration...

This was our first filtration with our equipment. Most of the time spent in the winery consists of washing and sanitizing before a winery operation, and after... We ran water through the plate and frame filter and filter pads, then a sanitizing solution, then water again... Then, with the lines filled with water we were ready to begin filtering the wine...

Will contemplating his master plan.

To reduce contact of air to the wine, we filled the lines with water, attached the hose to the tank with the unfiltered wine and opened the valve, started the pump and diverted the water to the floor, until the wine ran it's course through the filter and into it's destination tank.

Frontenac Gris Filtration

La Crescent Filtration

And on to the La Crescent, we followed the same steps...

All in all, first filtration a success... But the night doesn't end there. Cleaning, and sanitizing...

And... Our attempt at getting home.

Didn't see that one coming... ;o) There is a road under there somewhere...

Thankful for my father.

12.12.10 Electrical Duo

12.13.10-12.14.10 Bottles Arrive, and Drilling Begins.

Geothermal Drilling Begins...

Fortunately it doesn't need to be above 40 degrees to drill... Hoping the drilling can be finished soon!

Siding progress on the production building. The guys are doing a brilliant job!

12.17.10 Event Windows Arrive! and are Installed!

12.18.10 - 12.19.10 Bottling La Crescent and Frontenac Gris 2010!

Photo Credits: My beautiful cousin, Avery.

Running water through the hoses and filter getting ready for another filtration and bottling.

Bottle flippin'.

Pumping water and sanitizing solution through the hoses, plate and frame filter, cartridge filter, and bottle filler.

La Crescent

We have a two stage plate and frame filter, so we can filter the wine through a course filter to a finer filter in one pass.

Our corker is awesome. Smooth and simple. Will and I would fight over who got to cork...

Frontenac Gris (12.19)

Back to Staining...

Building Progress Pics.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

1 Comment

windows, water, wine, walkers and that white stuff called snow...

12/11/2010

1 Comment

11.30.10 - Wall of Windows

Hydrating the Barrels

12.1.10

In preparation for the juice, Tom and Will put together all of the tank lids, cleaned and sanitized the winery. They also transfered the Chambourcin off of it's fine sediment and to another tank in preparation for barreling.

Donna, Will's mom, priming in the Barrel Room. Color appropriately named Wine Barrel ;o) This room will be outfitted with a long table, elegant lighting, and of course, barrels. Will be available to rent for small private dinners-anniversary, birthday, engagements etc...

Windows on the North side of Tasting Room installed!

12.2.10 - Busy Day

Due to the Mother's Day frost this past May, many grape producers had a reduction in yield --- causing many wineries to scramble to find grapes, including us... We were able to find harvests of small quantities of La Crescent, Frontenac Gris, Marquette, and Chamborcin back in September, which are all well underway to wine.

To make up for lack of quantity, we were able to order grape juice from a provider in New York. The grape juice cultivars that we ordered are some of the same we had planted in May. Here is the rundown of what we have fermenting now...

Common Wine Characterisitics
Brianna: pineapple nose and flavor, grapefruit, tropical, floral. Usually produced as a semi-sweet wine.
Traminette: similar to Gerwurztraminer; spicy and floral.
Concord: strong, grapey aromas ("foxy"), likely will blend with Catawba for a semi-sweet to sweet blend.
Catawba: another strong, grapey wine, blending with concord.

We also received blueberry and raspberry.