![]() We also got to taste the just-pressed juice which was another treat! The last step was pouring it into the steel fermentation tank and checking the brix. When the press is full of the grapes, the stems and pips were added back in both to keep the bladder shape from deforming and potentially being damaged, and to of course add some tannin. This press was a smaller, water-based press that works in the same way as pneumatic presses I’ve seen but is vertically oriented. We then witnessed the pressing of the grapes in their bladder press. There were a few baskets of the just picked Cayuga bunches and we were invited to taste a few of them. ![]() I’ve had this variety in many Connecticut and New York wineries so far as a result. My guess is Cornell also provided/inspired them to grow the grape, which they bred to tolerate the cold climates in the region to much success. Only 2 wines are not fruit based – the white being Cayuga-based (I do not know what grape is used for the red). These days they have found much success with the fruit wines, winning several awards including the Big E for their sparkling Blackberry wine. The first crop of traditional grape-based wines were harvested in 2012. They became a winery in 1990, with the first grape vines planted in 2010. Once a you-pick-it fruit farm, the good folks of Cornell came along years ago with recipes for making fruit wine and the experiments began. A small but efficient operation of de-stemming, harvesting and pressing the whites was underway, the reds having been done the day before. We chatted briefly about our WSET experiences and he and his staff were also more than happy to let me watch them as they went about their work. While sad to have missed the opportunity to volunteer earlier that day, I got my nature fix on the trail and winemaker Eric Gorman was more than happy to give me his card so I could volunteer next year. Simply expecting a nice way to celebrate and loosen up the muscles a bit with a few glasses of wine, we stumbled into harvest. ![]() Thirty-plus wines from retailer DB Fine Wines are to be showcased, plus food, music and more. Presenting Sponsor: DB Fine Wines Magnum Sponsor: BMW of Darien and Super Sponsors: Elements Medical Aesthetics and Rock, Paper, Scissors Custom Events.Last weekend after a great hike on the famous Appalachian Trail, my wife and I visited the White Silo Winery in Sherman, just a few miles from where the trail enters Connecticut. The nonprofit provides weekend meals to children in need who are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program. Filling in the Blanks was founded by mothers and community activists, Shawnee Knight and Tina Kramer, who created the nonprofit as a way to bring together their community, children, food and charity. Sunset Wine Party was created by Connecticut-based wine connoisseur, Paula Alonso, who wanted to share her passion for wine while raising money for important local causes. All net proceeds benefit Filling in the Blanks, a local nonprofit which supports area children experiencing hunger by providing them with meals on the weekends. Sunset Wine Party is hosting an inaugural New Canaan event: a festive, upscale wine tasting evening at the Country Club of New Canaan.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |