Cab grapes at 19 Brix
 

Hello All,
I have about 1.25 acres of ~35 year old Cab Sauvignon vines in the
Sonoma Valley that I took over tending and this is my first harvest.
Been checking the Brix roughly each week for the last 3 weeks and it
seems to be hovering around 19 Brix. I want to harvest this before
November if possible (when the rain might start coming) and was
wondering if perhaps grapes reach a certain Brix and stop (because they
are old or whatever). I don't mind waiting but just wondering if the
Sugar Fairy will come soon....Some more info: they are dry farmed, head
pruned, and some of the grapes are showing signs of dimpling and there
are some vines with raisining due to sun exposure I imagine.

Any info would be appreciated. I would like them to reach 24 or a
little higher if possible. Don't know much about the farming aspect though.
Patience?

Thanks,
Joe

Joe Giller wrote:
> Hello All,
> I have about 1.25 acres of ~35 year old Cab Sauvignon vines in the
> Sonoma Valley that I took over tending and this is my first harvest.
> Been checking the Brix roughly each week for the last 3 weeks and it
> seems to be hovering around 19 Brix. I want to harvest this before
> November if possible (when the rain might start coming) and was
> wondering if perhaps grapes reach a certain Brix and stop (because they
> are old or whatever). I don't mind waiting but just wondering if the
> Sugar Fairy will come soon....Some more info: they are dry farmed, head
> pruned, and some of the grapes are showing signs of dimpling and there
> are some vines with raisining due to sun exposure I imagine.
>
> Any info would be appreciated. I would like them to reach 24 or a
> little higher if possible. Don't know much about the farming aspect
> though.
> Patience?
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
>
It got cool here in Sonoma Valley recently. I'm watching some Zin doing
similarly.
May not get much higher Brix... jes more complex. Do you need help
harvesting when the first rain hits?

Regards,
Gene

Joe Giller wrote:
> Hello All,
> I have about 1.25 acres of ~35 year old Cab Sauvignon vines in the
> Sonoma Valley that I took over tending and this is my first harvest.
> Been checking the Brix roughly each week for the last 3 weeks and it
> seems to be hovering around 19 Brix. I want to harvest this before
> November if possible (when the rain might start coming) and was
> wondering if perhaps grapes reach a certain Brix and stop (because they
> are old or whatever). I don't mind waiting but just wondering if the
> Sugar Fairy will come soon....Some more info: they are dry farmed, head
> pruned, and some of the grapes are showing signs of dimpling and there
> are some vines with raisining due to sun exposure I imagine.
>
> Any info would be appreciated. I would like them to reach 24 or a
> little higher if possible. Don't know much about the farming aspect
> though.
> Patience?
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
>
It got cool here in Sonoma Valley recently. I'm watching some Zin doing
similarly.
May not get much higher Brix... jes more complex. Do you need help
harvesting when the first rain hits?

Regards,
Gene

Gene,
I don't think so...got my wifes whole family that wants to experience
the romanticism of picking grapes. I'll let you know though if we need
some hands.
When do you suspect you might just say "well, this is as high as its
gonna get" and pick the zin?

Thanks,
Joe

Joe Giller wrote:
> Gene,
> I don't think so...got my wifes whole family that wants to experience
> the romanticism of picking grapes. I'll let you know though if we need
> some hands. When do you suspect you might just say "well, this is as
> high as its gonna get" and pick the zin?
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
>
checking the seeds for light tan and crunchiness... tasting the
grapes. May add some sweet Zin raisins to push the Brix a little.
Don't want to add too much or I get Zin-port flavor. BTW... I'm
harvesting 2nd growth. Get what's left now that the commercially
viable harvest is over. Plenty of med size bunches remain; some
starting to wrinkle... others raisining.
Since i'm only making 5 gal, I can do severe grape sorting, and may do
several small batches to use for blending later.

Gene

Joe Giller wrote:
> Gene,
> I don't think so...got my wifes whole family that wants to experience
> the romanticism of picking grapes. I'll let you know though if we need
> some hands. When do you suspect you might just say "well, this is as
> high as its gonna get" and pick the zin?
>
> Thanks,
> Joe
>
checking the seeds for light tan and crunchiness... tasting the
grapes. May add some sweet Zin raisins to push the Brix a little.
Don't want to add too much or I get Zin-port flavor. BTW... I'm
harvesting 2nd growth. Get what's left now that the commercially
viable harvest is over. Plenty of med size bunches remain; some
starting to wrinkle... others raisining.
Since i'm only making 5 gal, I can do severe grape sorting, and may do
several small batches to use for blending later.

Gene

Joe Giller wrote:

> Hello All,
> I have about 1.25 acres of ~35 year old Cab Sauvignon vines in the
> Sonoma Valley that I took over tending and this is my first harvest.
> Been checking the Brix roughly each week for the last 3 weeks and it
> seems to be hovering around 19 Brix. I want to harvest this before
> November if possible (when the rain might start coming) and was
> wondering if perhaps grapes reach a certain Brix and stop (because they
> are old or whatever). I don't mind waiting but just wondering if the
> Sugar Fairy will come soon

There is more to "maturity" than brix.
Look at the stems and seeds - are they brown or green?
How do they grapes taste?
Do you have a pH meter?
What is the pH?

"gene" > wrote in message
m...
> Joe Giller wrote:
> > Gene,
> > I don't think so...got my wifes whole family that wants to experience
> > the romanticism of picking grapes. I'll let you know though if we need
> > some hands. When do you suspect you might just say "well, this is as
> > high as its gonna get" and pick the zin?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Joe
> >
> checking the seeds for light tan and crunchiness... tasting the
> grapes. May add some sweet Zin raisins to push the Brix a little.
> Don't want to add too much or I get Zin-port flavor. BTW... I'm
> harvesting 2nd growth. Get what's left now that the commercially
> viable harvest is over. Plenty of med size bunches remain; some
> starting to wrinkle... others raisining.
> Since i'm only making 5 gal, I can do severe grape sorting, and may do
> several small batches to use for blending later.
>
> Gene
>
>
Dumb question maybe, but don't you vinifera growers chaptalize if need be?

"Ken Anderson" > wrote in message
...
> "gene" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Joe Giller wrote:
> > > Gene,
> > > I don't think so...got my wifes whole family that wants to experience
> > > the romanticism of picking grapes. I'll let you know though if we
need
> > > some hands. When do you suspect you might just say "well, this is as
> > > high as its gonna get" and pick the zin?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > Joe
> > >
> > checking the seeds for light tan and crunchiness... tasting the
> > grapes. May add some sweet Zin raisins to push the Brix a little.
> > Don't want to add too much or I get Zin-port flavor. BTW... I'm
> > harvesting 2nd growth. Get what's left now that the commercially
> > viable harvest is over. Plenty of med size bunches remain; some
> > starting to wrinkle... others raisining.
> > Since i'm only making 5 gal, I can do severe grape sorting, and may do
> > several small batches to use for blending later.
> >
> > Gene
> >
> >
> Dumb question maybe, but don't you vinifera growers chaptalize if need be?

Not a dumb question, but California does not allow chaptalization of
commercial wines.
Lum
Del Mar, California, USA

Ken Anderson wrote:
> "gene" > wrote in message
> m...
>
>>Joe Giller wrote:
>>
>>>Gene,
>>>I don't think so...got my wifes whole family that wants to experience
>>>the romanticism of picking grapes. I'll let you know though if we need
>>>some hands. When do you suspect you might just say "well, this is as
>>>high as its gonna get" and pick the zin?
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>Joe
>>>
>>
>>checking the seeds for light tan and crunchiness... tasting the
>>grapes. May add some sweet Zin raisins to push the Brix a little.
>>Don't want to add too much or I get Zin-port flavor. BTW... I'm
>>harvesting 2nd growth. Get what's left now that the commercially
>>viable harvest is over. Plenty of med size bunches remain; some
>>starting to wrinkle... others raisining.
>>Since i'm only making 5 gal, I can do severe grape sorting, and may do
>>several small batches to use for blending later.
>>
>>Gene
>>
>>
>
> Dumb question maybe, but don't you vinifera growers chaptalize if need be?
>
>
Rather not chaptalize. might do it as a last resort. Must be the
purist in me.
Sonoma Valley in most parts is usually warm enuf to coax 22-23 Brix in
the 2nd growth Zin (first growth Zin from the vineyard had plenty of
natural sugars... but I get the leftovers).
Gene

"Joe Giller" > wrote in message
...
> Hello All,
> I have about 1.25 acres of ~35 year old Cab Sauvignon vines in the
> Sonoma Valley that I took over tending and this is my first harvest.
> Been checking the Brix roughly each week for the last 3 weeks and it
> seems to be hovering around 19 Brix. I want to harvest this before
> November if possible (when the rain might start coming) and was
> wondering if perhaps grapes reach a certain Brix and stop (because they
> are old or whatever). I don't mind waiting but just wondering if the
> Sugar Fairy will come soon....Some more info: they are dry farmed, head
> pruned, and some of the grapes are showing signs of dimpling and there
> are some vines with raisining due to sun exposure I imagine.
>
> Any info would be appreciated. I would like them to reach 24 or a
> little higher if possible. Don't know much about the farming aspect
though.
> Patience?

I suspect that your sampling may be the problem. This late in the season,
and especially if the fruit is showing dimpling and raisining, the Brix is
probably closer to 24 than 19. You need to pick a number of
_representative_ clusters, crush them up, soak them overnight and _then_
measure the Brix. If you're just picking a berry or two here and there you
won't get a good reading. My 2¢ worth...

Tom S

Tom S, et al.,
You might be right Tom,
My sampling procedure was this: Pick a berry from random vines across
the plot (about 15 total), crush them all in a sandwich bag, take a
reading with a refractometer.

The grapes taste fine to me. Not too sweet nor too tart.

So I guess I need to pick a bunch of clusters from say 10-12 vines,
crush and let soak overnight and then take a reading?

I'll check on the color of the seeds and stems as well.

Thanks for all the input.

Joe

Tom S, et al.,
You might be right Tom,
My sampling procedure was this: Pick a berry from random vines across
the plot (about 15 total), crush them all in a sandwich bag, take a
reading with a refractometer.

The grapes taste fine to me. Not too sweet nor too tart.

So I guess I need to pick a bunch of clusters from say 10-12 vines,
crush and let soak overnight and then take a reading?

I'll check on the color of the seeds and stems as well.

Thanks for all the input.

Joe

"Joe Giller" > wrote in message
...
> Tom S, et al.,
> You might be right Tom,
> My sampling procedure was this: Pick a berry from random vines across
> the plot (about 15 total), crush them all in a sandwich bag, take a
> reading with a refractometer.

I suspected as much. Individual berry sampling _can_ give good results, but
you have to have a much larger sample (~200 or more) and be sure to pick
berries that are randomly representative - not just the ones that look nice.
IOW, pick both sides of the vines, each vine, high and low on the trellis,
big and small, and high and low on the clusters.

It's far easier to just pick whole clusters, using similar parameters. Of
course this will _not_ impact your final yield, since you'll ferment the
samples in advance of the actual picking and add them into the fermenters.

Tom S