Sourced from my usual local grower (I haven’t done acid measurements on these):
- 9 gallons of Cayuga White – 3 bushels of grapes - 20.5 Brix – yeast EC-1118
12 gallons of Vidal Blanc – 4 bushels of grapes - 22 Brix – yeast EC-1118
11 gallons of Steuben Rose – 3.5 bushels of grapes - 21.5 Brix – yeast EC-1118
- 2 pails (11.5 gal.) Chardonnay - 22.3 Brix, pH 3.56, TA 5.6 – yeast EC-1118
2 pails (11.5 gal.) Riesling - 20.1 Brix, pH 3.29, TA 6.9 – yeast GRE
3 pails (yield after pressing = 12 gal.) Gamay must - 21.3 Brix, pH 3.63, TA 5.5 – yeast
EC-1118
2 pails (yield after pressing = 8 gal.) Cabernet Franc must - 22.6 Brix, pH 3.53, TA 5.1 –
yeast BM-45
1 pail (yield after pressing = 4 gal.) Merlot must - 22.6 Brix, pH 3.51, TA 5.3 – yeast BM-45
The last two (Cab Franc and Merlot) have been blended and are co-fermenting. So I should have between 75-80 gallons (375-400 bottles) from this year’s vintage. This has been an excellent growing season for this area, with a very sunny, warm and dry summer and autumn.
I am making no adjustments to the sugar levels present in the juice, as there’s enough there for everything to be between 11 and 12.5% ABV. I may have to do the very unusual practice (for Eastern grapes) of adding tartaric acid to the Chardonnay and Gamay to bring the pH back down a bit. I won’t be making any bubbly this year, as I only make it in even
numbered years.
