Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/51841
WINERY of my fundamental starting points is the idea that you cannot easily remove unripe (bad) tannins from your harvest; you can only grow good tannins. To achieve this, we prune for light penetration in the canopy. Open canopies develop ideal seed tannin ripeness during the high light hours from solstice to the equinox. When vines stop can- opy growth at veraison, the grape skins can then develop to their best tannin and anthocyanin qualities. As a result, at 90 days from flower- ing the goal is to have high-quality skin tannins and fully brown seeds. The huge luminescence in eastern Washington allows for easy tannin development. So with open cano- pies, I choose to shade fruit behind one leaf to protect from sunburn. AT HARVEST For me, the staring points of a great wine are harvests where vari- etal flavors show no green tones to the juice, where the fruit con- tributes easy color into the new juice, and in which brown seeds are aligned with acids and sugars of the desired volumes. These qualities offer winemakers the fullest range of wine-style expression. Unlike some critics, I don't believe in an ideal varietal style. I do believe that growing ripe fruit into the full range of its expression is the only way to access the finest wine possible in a given vintage, no matter the style you choose to produce. Unlike some critics, I don't believe in an ideal varietal style. Uneven ripening in a vineyard, or on a vine, significantly lim- its tannin quality control. Even a small amount of unripe tannin must be managed as a detriment to wine balance. When review- ing juice samples for ripe flavors versus green flavors, remember that the astringency of the juice 78 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT JAN - FEB 2012 Wes_VWM-Jan-Feb2012.indd 1 Our New Tank Jackets on our Portable Tanks — "forkliftable," stackable, with a sloped tank bottom for easy drainage and cleaning. from a short soaking on skins only reflects the ripeness of the skins. Seed color at this stage will drive the best decision-making for seed tannin management. I assess vine health to guide my choices about how long ripening can continue. Renowned winemaker Zelma Long tells a story about how the old winemakers of Bordeaux would kick the vines, and judge ripeness by whether the fruit fell from the clus- ter onto the ground. If so, this repre- sented the end of vine ripening. FERMENTATION TIME Uncrushed, destemmed fruit INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER Westec's New Tank Jacket covers the majority of the tank in a 5' total height dimpled cooling jacket for complete temperature control. The tank shell is seamless — making the tank easier to clean and allowing for larger, more effective cooling jackets. Our New Tank Jackets can be used on any size tank: place the dimple jacket anywhere on smaller tanks, to optimize the heating/cooling capabilities. Place fewer, larger jackets on larger tanks, and potentially reduce plumbing costs. You won't find a solution like this anywhere else. Westec's New Tank Jackets can be built for any size tank. The 5' total height dimpled cooling jacket provides complete temperature control. Please contact us today for more information, a tour of our manufacturing facility, and an estimate for your next job. WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM 11/28/11 4:06 PM Westec ad 1/2 Island 4 color ad — Vineyard & Winery Management Jan/Feb 2012 issue.