Bradley Nudell’s Post

Vineyard Update: The old adage that the “wine is made in the vineyard” is true in so many ways. The plant, the root stock and the terroir combine to give the charateristics that you eventually taste in the bottle. Cornell University has a great article that includes information on grape plant root growth. https://lnkd.in/eKg9ejhs. The surface area of grape plant roots is 10x the surface area of above ground leaf area. More rain is on the horizon in the coming week. Stress on the vines has been thought to improve the quality of the wine, however the timing and severity of the stress seem to be most important. This is why every vintage is unique. DM me or let me know in the comments if there is something you’d like to see in future vineyard updates.

As we approach grape harvest season, this blog post shares some insights: "Harvest season is every winemaker’s greatest dream and worst nightmare combined. Months of pruning, ploughing, and tending vines, through sun, rain, and frost, all lead to this critical moment. But nature doesn’t wait, and the pressure to get ripe, healthy grapes into the winery is immense! Each harvest is unique, and the challenges vary across the globe—whether it’s picking Malbec under the hot sun in Mendoza or Riesling on the steep slopes of Mosel. Preparation is key: ripeness, weather, and space must be perfectly timed to ensure the best results. During harvest, long days start before sunrise, with picking, sorting, and manual labor to move the grapes efficiently into fermentation. Oh, and don’t forget the relentless cleaning—because in the winery, cleaning is everything! At the end of it all, there’s a glass of #wine in hand and the satisfaction of being part of something extraordinary." Here’s to the 2024 harvest!  #grapeharvest  

Much of the work, if not most of our work as consultants, is addressing problems and fixing something that is “broken”. In this instance, the system is broken and one consultant or another cannot fix this issue…. But…one consultant CAN influence one other person , one committed wine professional that recognizes the value of an #oldvine and, in good conscience, seeks to partner with a grower of old vine to farm the wine….. ….TOGETHER! The broken system of the wine industry, more so in the U.S. than abroad, is a system of “Us vs. Them” rather than a partnership. In the EU and other countries around the world, their is more unity but what decimates much of the international wine community is the interference of the industry through substation rather than free enterprise. The point is that “Together” problems are tackled, divided the problems fester and rott and solutions come…. “A little too little too slow too late”. Let’s work together. #unity #wineindustry #oldvinewine #heritageconservation #techtalk4wine #winemakersforum

Despite the Ahr’s recent attention in the media, Germany's tiny winegrowing valley still remains a place of mystery. Difficult to locate, impossible to define. And even among umlaut-wine lovers and professionals, a place far too few have visited. With only 529 hectares of vines, this stunning region of contrasts is one of the country’s smallest. Yet its steep slate volcanic slate slopes more than make-up in drama for what it lacks in size. It counts among Germany’s most northern winegrowing regions, yet 80% of its vineyards is planted to red grapes. Spätburgunder (aka Pinot Noir) makes up 65% of the plantings. And in a further twist one of the this Pinot paradise’s most well known specialties is a white wine, Blanc de Noir, or as winemaker Julia Bertram calls it, “the very soul of Spätburgunder.” On average, the region gets 535 more hours of sunshine than it did in 1951 and is 1.3 degrees celsius higher, yet the current generation of winemakers is actively working toward reducing extraction, seeking out shade, and embracing the smoky coolness of their slate-grown Pinot. Interested in learning more? Visit the bio link and type "ahr" into the search bar to learn even more!

Legendary vintage, and as it clocks on to 77 years, the colour is a soft tawny with a gentle ruby blush through the core. Gorgeous earthy aromatics, white truffles, chamomile, dried flowers, incense, black tea. There is earthiness on the palate, with grilled cumin, cured leather, melted tannins, the remembrance of raspberry fruit, all delivered with gentle persistence. You'll find traces of history everywhere - the label says Haut Pomerol (meaning from the central best quality plateau), a mention that they kept until the French appellations agency told them to stop at some point in the 1950s. Inevitably there will be bottle variation (even in shape, not just contents), but this bottle was with the original cork and still tasted great. Unmoved from Libourne cellars since bottling. Weather wise in 1947, Pomerol saw a late spring and classic budbreak followed by a more difficult fruit set, then a hot summer with storms, and weather that stayed hot right through harvest, meaning naturally high alcohols. Hard to say when this will entirely fall away, but right now you are going to find huge amounts of pleasure. Olivier Bourotte and his wife Germaine Audy owners at the time, second generation after Jean-Baptiste Audy. 97/100 Come see the rest of this incredible vertical, with Clos du Clocher from 1947-2020, on the site today. #insidebordeaux #pomerol #pomerolwine #winetourism #visitbordeaux #vinsdebordeaux #maximelis #wineart #artandwine #vinsdepomerol #closduclocher #audynegociant #winecritic #subscribercontent #newcontentthursdays #wineeducation #winehistory

Legendary vintage, and as it clocks on to 77 years, the colour is a soft tawny with a gentle ruby blush through the core. Gorgeous earthy aromatics, white truffles, chamomile, dried flowers, incense, black tea. There is earthiness on the palate, with grilled cumin, cured leather, melted tannins, the remembrance of raspberry fruit, all delivered with gentle persistence. You'll find traces of history everywhere - the label says Haut Pomerol (meaning from the central best quality plateau), a mention that they kept until the French appellations agency told them to stop at some point in the 1950s. Inevitably there will be bottle variation (even in shape, not just contents), but this bottle was with the original cork and still tasted great. Unmoved from Libourne cellars since bottling. Weather wise in 1947, Pomerol saw a late spring and classic budbreak followed by a more difficult fruit set, then a hot summer with storms, and weather that stayed hot right through harvest, meaning naturally high alcohols. Hard to say when this will entirely fall away, but right now you are going to find huge amounts of pleasure. Olivier Bourotte and his wife Germaine Audy owners at the time, second generation after Jean-Baptiste Audy. 97/100 Come see the rest of this incredible vertical, with Clos du Clocher from 1947-2020, on the site today. #insidebordeaux #pomerol #pomerolwine #winetourism #visitbordeaux #vinsdebordeaux #maximelis #wineart #artandwine #vinsdepomerol #closduclocher #audynegociant #winecritic #subscribercontent #newcontentthursdays #wineeducation #winehistory

Of all my book series, in multiple pen names, Grado Valley Vineyards (set at a fictional Finger Lakes vineyard partially based on Three Brothers Wineries & Estates) is one of my favorites. #romancebook #wineandbooks #bellamichaels

A nice range of harvest options due to the acidity - stand alone or blended as either the primary or secondary, it will stand up or complement your wine. Very versatile

What makes certain grapes come in ahead of others? Chris Kenefick, owner and CEO of Kenefick Ranch Winery, gives a little insight into this in our latest #Harvest2024 update. Since all grape vines are in the ground and don’t get planted each spring (like tomatoes, for example), the grapes themselves follow their natural growth cycle each year. And, like the humans who tend them, some are early and some are late. Whites always tend to ripen first and then reds follow, but there are differences within the grape color. As Chris points out, Malbec comes in before Cabernet. Pinot comes in before all of them. This is just one of the many elements that the grape growers and winemakers of #NapaValley have to plan for! Follow along and catch up on the entire #2024vintage at harvestnapa.com.

Vineyard Update: Harvest has been adjusted to 14 Sep. Historically the person who both managed the vineyard and made the wine was called the “vigneron”. In modern commercial winemaking the tasks are often divided between vintner (or winemaker) and vineyard manager or (grape grower). Large wineries may have a wine maker and estate vineyard(s) in the care of a vineyard manager, while smaller wineries might have a vigneron or a vintner and purchase grapes from local vineyards managed by an independent grape grower(s). Feisty Fox Farm and Vineyards provides Vidal Blanc grapes to winemakers (vintners) who use our grapes for their needs. In this arrangement it is important to stay in close communication with the vintner to ensure the grapes are suited for the vintner’s needs. Weather, quality of the grapes and different uses or styles of wine will dictate harvest decisions. Clarification: Yeast is a type of fungus, not a fungicide. It can be affected by a fungicide. #vidalblanc #virginiavineyards #virginiawine #knowyourwine Toni Stinson Josh Stinson