Posted on 08/11/2005 7:43:12 PM PDT by tertiary01
Despite a cold spring and late rains, the 2005 Napa Valley grape harvest for sparkling wine began on schedule Wednesday.
Under a foggy pre-dawn sky, a crew of 30 whipped through an Oak Knoll vineyard, picking 20 tons of pinot noir for Mumm Napa.
Winemaker Ludovic Dervin is pleased with grape quality and flavors, wishing only that quantity had lived up to early predictions.
"The chardonnay is right on target but the pinot noir crop is lighter than we'd like," he told the cellar crew and other winery employees gathered for a traditional blessing of the grapes at the Rutherford area winery Wednesday morning.
walk in the clouds
Here's hopefully a link that works.
http://www.napanews.com
Just scroll down the page
PING
NO kidding, it has been Vegas hot lately.
Cheers,
knews hound
Good year for Chards?
Are we to assume these were all documented workers?
Yeah, right!
Looks promising, especially now since the weather seems to be holding well, with just a mild fog in the morning, rarely extending up valley beyond the Oak Knoll area.
How are things looking for the reds?
My neighbors both raise a couple of red varieties on very young vines and so far they are extremely happy with how they are developing and ripening.
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