News from the field as of 3/3/2017…..
News from the field…
South African Pinotage: Harvested and in transit. The Pinotage should hit the port around March 28th.
South African Cabernet: Harvest is about 10 days out. It will most likely arrive sometime in mid-April.
Argentina Malbec: Also about 10 days out as of right now. We think the grapes should arrive sometime in mid to late April.
Chilean grapes: White grapes will start to harvest next week. The white grapes should arrive around last week in April and reds grapes should arrive around the first or second week in May.
Southern Hemisphere Juices: Arriving mid to late April.
The prices for the Spring products are here and we are taking Pre-Orders via email and over the phone. Please feel free to contact us at sales@juicegrape.com or 877.812.1137 to place your pre-order.
We are looking forward to working with you this Spring Harvest! Keep an eye on our Facebook Page and Harvest Tracker for more harvest information and upcoming wine classes.
2017 South Africa Harvest
Spring season is almost upon us and we have some great news. This year we will not only be offering Pinotage from South Africa, but…
Wait for it…
Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa too!!
Also, we have additional higher-end regions where we will be sourcing our South African grapes. In addition to the Breede River Valley we will also offer grapes from Stellenbosch, Olifantsriver, and the Cederberg Mountains.
Stellenbosch:
Location: Western Cape, 31 miles East of Cape Town
Grapes Being Sourced: Cabernet Sauvignon
Grower Information: A meticulous vineyard manager, this Cabernet has intense fruit flavors. The grapes create full, rich, complex wines that age well.
Geeky Facts: “Wines from these locations are often described as having a subtle mineral note which many believe is from the decomposed granite soils. The granite mountains are approximately 600 million years old, over 3 times as old as the soil in Napa where many of the Cabernet Sauvignon vines are grown.” (via Wine Folly)
Olifants River:
Location: One of the Northernmost wine regions in South Africa’s Western Cape. It spans 90 miles between Lutzville in the North and Citrusdal Valley in the South.
Grapes Being Sourced: Cabernet Sauvignon
Grower Information: The grapes thrive in the hot, dry mesoclimates and are tempered by cool ocean breezes at night and good cold units during winter. These growing conditions make the perfect recipe for good quality Cabernet Sauvignon. Also, you will find pockets of very old, almost ancient vines in this area. Vines were first planted in this area in the 1700’s
Geeky Facts: The Olifants River is named for the elephants that roamed the region in the 18th Century. (via Wine Searcher)
Cederberg Mountains:
Location: 186 miles North of Capetown. The Cederberg mountains contain a nature reserve. The mountain range is named after the endangered Clanwilliam cedar, which is a tree endemic to the area.
Grapes Being Sourced: Pinotage
Grower Information: These Pinotage grapes are from older vines and are cultivated at the highest altitude in South Africa. You can expect intense flavors with high levels of complexity. These grapes produce excellent Pinotage and can be compared to Napa and Sonoma in terms of quality.
Geeky Facts: The mountains are noted for dramatic rock formations and San rock.
The Pinotage grapes should be arriving towards the end of March and the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes should arrive at the end of April. We are expecting more information about crop estimates, clones, yeast pairings, photos, and more. So stay tuned for more updates! Cheers!
Official Pinotage Numbers Are Here
Official Pinotage Numbers Are Here
Brix = 25 (no adjustment required)
Starting pH = 3.91
Starting TA = .62
Added 1.5gm Tartaric Acid per liter
Final Number are pH = 3.50 & TA = 0.75
In conclusion, the final numbers are very good!! Looking forward to seeing how this vintage turns out!
#whydoesittakesolong?
2016 Pinotage Arrival
The Pinotage has arrived!! The berries taste very sweet with good seed and pulp development. We got Brix readings of 23-24.5. We will be calling all of the people who pre-ordered today. However we do still have a small amount available for sale.
Gives us a call at 877.812.1137 to pick up you Pinotage grapes!
Also, we are still deciding which yeast to use for the Pinotage grapes. The three options we thought about are D254, D80, and BDX. Below are the descriptions of each yeast.
(all descriptions via Scott Laboratories)
- D254: “In red wines, Lalvin ICV D254® develops ripe fruit, jam and cedar aromas together with mild spiciness. On the palate it contributes high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel and intense fruit concentration.”
- D80: “Given proper nutrition, Lalvin ICV D80® is a rapid starter with moderate fermentation rates. It has been known to have an alcohol tolerance of up to 16% (v/v) when the fermentation is aerated and the temperature is maintained below 28°C(82°F). On the palate it creates high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel, an intense, fine-grain tannin sensation and a long lasting licorice finish.”
- BDX: “Uvaferm BDXTM is a vigorous fermenter. Alcohol tolerance can be up to 16% (v/v). Optimizes color and structure with soft tannin extraction and increased mouthfeel. Does not generate a lot of heat during fermentation. Selected from the Pasteur Institute strain collection in Paris, France.”
Which yeast do you think we should use?
Cheers! 🍇🍷
2016 HARVEST OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH AFRICA
2016 HARVEST OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH AFRICA
The Breede River Valley is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and is nestled between the Simonsberg and Drakenstien mountains. Because of this unique topography, cool air from the oceans flows through the valley creating small, cooler micro-climates. Farmers are able to use the Breede River to irrigate their vines, thus creating ideal grape growing conditions in an otherwise un-farmable part of South Africa. The valley is an hour’s drive from Cape Town and more temperate than the Stellenbosch Valley – resulting in grapes that express good fruit characteristics without overripe jamminess.
Yet even with the cooler micro-climate and irrigation, South Africa had a very dry growing season. Unseasonable heat waves in December and February caused earlier-than-normal harvest schedules. These heat waves also caused some varieties to become unavailable to us this year. Unfortunately due to this season’s climate and berries not reaching full maturity, the Cabernet and Merlot from South Africa did not meet our quality standards and thus will not be available this season. However, the Pinotage and Sauvignon Blanc matured perfectly and are on their way to Connecticut. We expect the grapes to arrive around March 18th. While the hot and dry growing conditions this season will result in lighter yields, the berries will be more intense thus leading to more complex and intense finished wines.
We are looking forward to bringing you our high quality Pinotage and Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa in mid-March! The grapes come in 20lb cases and yield about 1.25 gallons per case. We strongly advise you to pre-order these grapes as last year we sold out of the Pinotage.
Note about Pinotage: The Pinotage Grape was created in 1925 and is a cross between two vinifera grapes, Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Abaraham Izak Perold created the grape to bring out the brilliant robust flavors that both Pinot Noir and Cinsault possessed, while making the grape easy to grow. Now Pinotage is known to produce smoky, earthy flavors with hints of tropical fruits. Pinotage sourced from the Breede River Valley produce wines that express notes of cedar, plums, and dark berry notes. The wine then rounds out with a smooth, tannic structure. Enjoy these wines with a hearty stew or red meat. Please note that if you punch through too vigorously during fermentation you can get an almost burned plastic characteristic. It is better to ferment Pinotage at lower temperatures.
Note about Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa: Sauvignon Blanc produced from the Breede River Valley are often very complex and with notes of minerals such as flint, and bright fruit flavors such as apricot.
Cheers! And Happy Winemaking!
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