Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/646485
2 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a r - A p r 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m Linden produces a succulent late-harvest Petit Manseng wine. At nearby Glen Manor Vineyards, owner-winemaker Jeff White like- wise makes a luscious late harvest wine as well as a drier style Petit Manseng. One of Law's many dis- ciples, White worked at Linden for 12 years, until 2005, when he left to start his own winery on the 226- acre farm that's been in his family since 1901. "In 1995, when I got my grand- father's approval to plant a vine- yard on the farm, I put in six acres of Sauvignon Blanc and red Bor- deaux varieties," he says. "Then, in 2008, I cleared out a young for- est on an upper slope just below the west flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains and planted some Petit Manseng cuttings from Jim Law's vineyards." Soaring 1,400 to 3,400 feet behind this small (1.5-acre), west-facing vineyard, the rugged mountains look like a protective fortress looming behind the Petit Manseng vines. "I think Petit Manseng will put Virginia on the map," White con- tinues. "I liken it to Chenin Blanc from Vouvray in that it has lots of acid and some sweetness. For our Petit Manseng, we first harvest most of the block early — mid- September. The grapes are ripe and very flavorful, with sugars 25-27 °Brix and high acids [the total acid- ity is around 10 grams per liter]. We leave some grapes on the vine to continue to ripen for Raepheus, our late-harvest wine, which we pick in mid-November. At this point, the sugars are now 30+ °Brix and the total acidity around 7 to 9 grams. These grapes are frozen for a week or so, then pressed frozen. The first juice is the Raepheus, which is very grapes," he explains. "Unlike most grapes, I almost never worry about these during the growing season. Because they're late to ripen and have thick, rot-resistant skins, Petit Manseng grapes can usually stay hanging on the vines well into November with no problems." Jeff White, owner/winemaker at Glen Manor, makes both late harvest and drier style Petit Manseng wines. Photo: Marguerite Thomas Jim Law of Linden Vineyards is one of Virginia's premier Petit Manseng producers, describing the variety as "remarkably resilient." B R O K E R AG E est. 1973 Providing Personalized Service in: GRAPE BROKERAGE BULK WINE BROKERAGE GLOBAL SOURCING STRATEGIC PLANNING T U R R E N T I N E 7599 Redwood Boulevard, Suite 103, Novato, CA 94945 www.TurrentineBrokerage.com Call us for a Market Update 415.209.WINE EAST WATCH MARGUERITE THOMAS