Chancellor Grapes 2009

[wharris]

We picked these in the vineyards of Erie PA at Presque Isle Winery.

Picking Chancellor Grapes at Presque Isle Winery
Crushing Chancellor Grapes
Pictures

[Cheese Head]

Wayne, nics videos. Is that your family/grapes or are you showing same ones as you got?

[wharris]

John,
That is me and my wife,  picking and sorting grapes from this year, out at a winery/vineyard in erie called Presque Isle winery. I hope I answered your question as I'm not sure I was tracking with you.

Anyway, Those grapes are in full-on fermentation right now.  Here I am this morning  punching the cap down.
Punching the Cap Down

I will be getting my full load of grapes on friday or saturday. that will be California Cabernet Sauvignon.  Its been a cool/wet year and so the harvest is late.

[wharris]

Ok,  just picked up my main load of California Cabernet Sauvignon grapes...

Here is me and my buddy crushing them.

Crushing 1000lbs of Cab Sauv 2009

I am filming while holding the hose....

[DeejayDebi]

Nice videos Wayne. For some reason I expected naked feet and hairy legs somewhere in the videos!  ;)

You have a ton of carboys there. You must make wine all winter.

[mtncheesemaker]

Hey Wayne, looks like fun!
I'm making 6 varieties of wine this year from locally grown grapes. Are there risks to aging wine in carboys close to where I ripen cheese? Ever had any bad experiences?
Thanks,
Pam

[wharris]

Pam,

Is there something wrong with a dry red roquefort table wine?

:)

I have not found there to be a problem co-locating the two.  I sanitize everything prior to Grape fermentation.  That is, I mop everything  with a Starsan solution.  I apply this to just about everything:  Vats,  Carboys, floors, walls, tools.

Then during the aging of my wine, the wine is 14% alcohol with 45ppm of free SO2.  So,  its pretty hostile to yeast and random bateria. My goal is to keep my wine in a biologically stabile state.  Besides, its almost always air tight. (except during racking).   My main concern during long term aging is Oxidation.  So, I cap all my wines with a generous blanket of argon. After a year, I add sulfate (making it very unpleasent for bad things to grow) and bottle.   Assuming a good tight seal with the cork,  (and  no cork defects) You could age your wine in the mustiest of cheese caves and it should not be a problem.

[mtncheesemaker]

Hmmmm... Dry red roquefort? Have to give that some thought!

I'm trying to keep my SO2 levels to about 30ppm. I'm also racking less these days than I used too. Only racked my 2008 reds right before bottling. Just bottled the Syrah and Zinfandel and was pretty happy with them.

I guess I'll just try to be extra prudent with cleaning. Still haven't come up with the perfect cheese-aging set-up yet.
Pam

[wharris]

My Cabernet:
Punching down my 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes

[DeejayDebi]

I'm impressed sweetie! That's one a heck of a batch of wine. Do you have wooden barrels too?

[mtncheesemaker]

Lookin' good!

[wharris]

Crush Season / Fermentation Season 2009 is over....

Whew..  Lotta work this year. 
Final tally:
67gallons of California Cab
15gallons of Pa Chancellor

[GBoyd]

Wow. That is a serious operation. Do you make that much every year?

[wharris]

Around this much,  yes

[mtncheesemaker]

Wayne, where do you get those straps for your carboys? Do they make moving them easier?
Pam