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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 8/14/2017 8:08:10 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Saturday morning we had a sprinkle or two of rain, then overnight Sat/Sun we had a true rain shower, our first since early June. It saved/prevented me from mowing yesterday, but gave a nice healthy drink to the leaves and clusters. I was wandering among the Sangiovese when sunrise peaked over the ridgeline.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 8/14/2017 2:59:14 PM   
BenNoir

 

Posts: 921
Joined: 7/9/2014
From: Snoqualmie River Valley, WA
Status: offline 		The rain was wonderful for us here on the west side too. Longest dry streak since 1951.

< Message edited by bennor -- 8/14/2017 4:03:00 PM >

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 8/14/2017 5:19:18 PM   
khmark7

 

Posts: 11411
Joined: 7/6/2008
From: Chicago suburbs
Status: offline 		No rain here either in almost 2 weeks. We haven't had the scorching hot temperatures however.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 8/15/2017 7:06:35 AM   
BenNoir

 

Posts: 921
Joined: 7/9/2014
From: Snoqualmie River Valley, WA
Status: offline 		Sea-Tac recorded 0.02 inches of rain just before midnight Saturday night, August 12th.
The official streak ended with a record 55 days without measurable rainfall.

We had also been suffering with the worst air quality in the country due to smoke from Canadian wild fires.

But the wind has shifted, and the temperature has dropped, so all is good.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 8/22/2017 1:39:21 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Fires have made the general area on our side smokey again, but none of them are close enough to risk smoke taint as we move into veraison.

I did a decent survey on Sunday. Sampling really only grapes that had changed color.

Pinot Noir - 14.0 Brix about 70% through Verasion
Syrah - 12.0 Brix about 20%.
Viognier - 7 Brix Tart!, would make a nice verjus. Only about 10% veraison
Gewurz - 13.2 Brix. about 30%
Sangio and Roussanne - no testing, no color change yet.

Oddly maybe, my row of Roussanne has perked up this year, and while only about 2/3 of the plants survived the 15 or so that are fruiting are producing a decent crop load. Not sure what I'll do with those grapes, but a small batch of Rhone white (small carboy), or a couple of blends of co-fermenting might be in order to see if I can tell any difference. Decisions, decisions. My one decision made it to get the nets on this coming weekend before the birds discover the crop.

Looking at my notes from 2016, I'm about 3-4 weeks behind on Brix from last year. Likely not to begin harvest until Late September, unless things move quickly in next couple of weeks.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 9/15/2017 11:00:33 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
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Slow and steady progress over the past 4 weeks. The smoke has been dense at times, and I was and am still worried about smoke taint. Ironically the rain event I praised in early August is the same storm that started the Norse Peak fire, about 40-50 miles due west of us, that has burned about 50,000 acres of dense forest on the North slopes of Mount Rainier. Most of Columbia Valley and its sub-AVA's have seen smoke haze from that fire and the Jolly Mtn Fire at Cle Elum, further North, then the Columbia Gorge AVA got smoked pretty good by the fire along the Columbia River near Hollowine. Ours (Norse Peak) hasn't threatened any homes, or gotten much attention, but the Naches Heights AVA is closest to it and most likely to be impacted. My taster didn't detect any smoke yesterday, but it really is hard to tell when the whole atmosphere smells like a campfire. I doubt I'll do any chemical testing, but I'll taste closely before blending or bottling anything I make this year.

Nothing more we can really do here except keep the birds away, and sampling the grapes. I took my first samples in a while yesterday and came back please with progress...

Gewurztraminer, 19.0 Brix, 3.0 pH
Pinot Noir, 20 Brix, 3.1 pH
Syrah, 17.5 Brix, 3.0 pH
Sangiovese 17.2 Brix, 2.9 pH

Our weather pattern, in addition to the smoke, held at hot and dry up through last week with highs into the 90's most days. This week we are finally seeing our first real signs of Fall, highs mid 70's overnight lows into the 40's. I hope a bit more ripening, but I'm pretty happy to be in the zone where a call to "PICK NOW" isn't warranted and I can monitor it closely for a few weeks before any threat of frost.

Trivia factoid for the day... The plastic Bread Clip, much like you see holding my nets together below the row of Riesling Sangiovese, was invented by Floyd Paxton, of Selah/Yakima, Washington.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 9/16/2017 4:37:06 AM   
jrockman

 

Posts: 2534
Joined: 4/17/2012
From: Des Moines, WA
Status: offline 		Thanks for the report on the fires and the smoke, Chris; I've been wondering about it and last night we were discussing the lack of any news on the effect on grapes at dinner with some of the Seattle group.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 9/16/2017 10:39:14 AM   
khmark7

 

Posts: 11411
Joined: 7/6/2008
From: Chicago suburbs
Status: offline 		Amazing how Chris's grapes can start growing at the same time as mine, but are further behind in terms of veraison & ripening than mine. Heat? Rain? Soil? Latitude? I think the extreme heat likely shut the vines down for large periods of time.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 9/16/2017 6:20:47 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

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From: Cowiche, WA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

Amazing how Chris's grapes can start growing at the same time as mine, but are further behind in terms of veraison & ripening than mine. Heat? Rain? Soil? Latitude? I think the extreme heat likely shut the vines down for large periods of time.

My guess is heat units. Ours are lower than Chicago since we get much larger diurnal temperature swings even on hottest days of summer, due mostly to low humidity, desert climate. Diurnal Temp Swing The map in this wiki article shows it pretty dramatically, where I'm in an Orange zone w/ 30+ degree swings in July, Chicago is Green with 10 or so degrees.



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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/6/2017 2:34:42 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		We've had a very strange year. Late Spring, Hot Summer, late summer rays tempered by smoke haze, Fall just arrived a week or so ago it seems.

Forecast for next week.

Monday 64 37
Tuesday 61 33
Wednesday 59 33
Thursday 56 33
Friday 54 31

I had hoped to hang a couple more weeks on Syrah and Sangio, but we're picking what is left (which is every thing except for Gewurz) this weekend. Wish us luck!


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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/7/2017 5:00:39 AM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23486
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		Chris - none of those look like a killing freeze... are you just not taking any chances? Are are the staff getting antsy to finish up the harvest?

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/7/2017 6:00:31 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Killing and dropping all leaves are different thresholds. Below 32 and few degrees less can zap grape leaves. The fruit is ok for a few days after that type of frost but can fall too and clusters fall apart after a bit. Caution on my part to try to avoid a mad panic since a) my troops arrive today through Tuesday and b) I'm in Seattle late next week for work.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/7/2017 10:10:35 AM   
jrockman

 

Posts: 2534
Joined: 4/17/2012
From: Des Moines, WA
Status: offline 		I hear rain is in the forecast for next week; I know Les Collines is picking our group's grapes today, when they first talked of waiting another week.

quote:

b) I'm in Seattle late next week for work.


Time for an off-line or meet up?

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Post #: 463
RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/7/2017 1:24:56 PM   
PinotPhile

 

Posts: 3728
Joined: 3/16/2014
From: Southern CA
Status: offline 		Chris, how did the Pinot Noir harvest do this year?

Goat Rocks Rocks!

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Post #: 464
RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/7/2017 4:08:36 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: PinotPhile

Chris, how did the Pinot Noir harvest do this year?

Goat Rocks Rocks!

Pinot Noir pick just finished up. A bit of raisening that lowered yield 10-15% but still maybe 800-900 pounds, hopefully enough for a full barrel. We'll crush tonight or in the morning to free up picking bins for Syrah. Then another round for Sangiovese. My crush pad and fermentation room will be at (read beyond) capacity.

< Message edited by ChrisinSunnyside -- 10/7/2017 4:09:25 PM >

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/10/2017 9:28:42 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		We finished up picking, crushing, destemming about midday Monday. Everything resting in the patio now in cold soak mode. I'm guesstimating about a ton of Syrah/Viognier, and about 1.2 Tons of Sangiovese. Also kept out about 150 pounds of Viognier, and maybe 30 pounds of Roussanne (all of it) to make a white Rhone. Brix numbers were down a bit but in good range, along with acids. I'll see later this week if I could have waited, but with forecast now with rain then low to be 29 by Friday, I'm glad we made the call, and we probably got as good as we would get this year.

We had a few gorgeous days, nippy early but warming by afternoon, and my family and friends knocked it out of the park (again) this year. I didn't take many pictures this year, but my daughter hopefully captured a few. Our pickers this year included an 83 year old Great Grandma, and 13 month old baby, who ate everything she picked.

We had a nice harvest dinner, drinking some of last year's wines, and prayed for Napa and Somona after seeing that news through this forum.

< Message edited by ChrisinSunnyside -- 10/10/2017 9:32:34 AM >

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/10/2017 9:53:43 AM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23486
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		Congrats on the fall 2017 Harvest!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/10/2017 1:38:18 PM   
BRR

 

Posts: 1839
Joined: 9/1/2009
From: Seattle, WA
Status: offline 		Congratulations on your harvest, CiS! May your fermentation be ideal!

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Post #: 468
RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/13/2017 9:22:05 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		25 F and heavy frost this morning at Goat Rocks. Boy am I glad the forecast existed, was pretty accurate, and that I made the call to pick.

Everything in bins and carboys is starting to do that little magic thing with the bubbles and floating grapes. I never inoculated the red wines, so I think I'll just see what happens for a week or two and we may be "all native" for 2017. Syrah/Viognier is for sure most active, with less foam on the Sangio and Pinot for now.

My final pick numbers were about:

Pinot Noir ~ 800 pounds, 23 Brix, 3.5 pH
Syrah/Viognier ~ 2000 pounds, 21 Brix, 3.3 pH
Sangiovese ~ 2400 pounds, 19.5 Brix, 3.2 pH
Viognier ~150 pounds, 21.2 Brix, 3.3 pH
Roussanne ~ 30 pounds, 24 Brix, 3.2 pH

Gewurz (picked September 20 or so)
~ 900 pounds, 23 Brix, 3.3 pH (after adjustment with a pound of Tartaric and Malic acid)

Right at 3 tons total harvest from an acre and a quarter on third leaf. I'll take it.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/13/2017 2:54:59 PM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23486
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		Hurrah to all the serfs and chief cooks at Goat Rocks!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/31/2017 9:03:15 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		All wines through primary fermentation, reds pressed off into 5 barrels, 2 Sangio, 2 Syrah (one with a bit of help from last year's wine), 1 Pinot Noir (150 l). A few carboys of Pinot and one of Sangio left for topping. I'll use more 16 Syrah for topping the 17 Syrah.

All waiting on secondary fermentation to start, which Pinot seems willing to do on its own again.

Gewurz is in a food grade plastic 55 gallon drum, Viognier and Roussanne in glass awaiting cold stabilization. My winery frig no longer lives in the winery, so I'll be using Mother Nature for cold. She is obliging since snow and low in the teens is forecast for this coming weekend.

This year has been a real pleasure, and really our first year of feeling like the vineyard is truly ours. We did it all, from pruning in the snow in March, mowing, spraying, tieing, irrigating, mowing, irrigating, spraying, mowing, training those stragglers that were recovering from frostbite, netting, harvesting, crushing, fermenting, pressing, barreling. Everything put to rest on Halloween.

Three months of rest, then we start again.

< Message edited by ChrisinSunnyside -- 10/31/2017 9:06:12 AM >

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/31/2017 9:37:54 AM   
dsGris

 

Posts: 4712
Joined: 8/31/2009
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline 		Sounds like a farmer's life. That and the day job.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/31/2017 9:41:22 AM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23486
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From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
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quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinSunnyside

All wines through primary fermentation, reds pressed off into 5 barrels, 2 Sangio, 2 Syrah (one with a bit of help from last year's wine), 1 Pinot Noir (150 l). A few carboys of Pinot and one of Sangio left for topping. I'll use more 16 Syrah for topping the 17 Syrah.

All waiting on secondary fermentation to start, which Pinot seems willing to do on its own again.

Gewurz is in a food grade plastic 55 gallon drum, Viognier and Roussanne in glass awaiting cold stabilization. My winery frig no longer lives in the winery, so I'll be using Mother Nature for cold. She is obliging since snow and low in the teens is forecast for this coming weekend.

This year has been a real pleasure, and really our first year of feeling like the vineyard is truly ours. We did it all, from pruning in the snow in March, mowing, spraying, tieing, irrigating, mowing, irrigating, spraying, mowing, training those stragglers that were recovering from frostbite, netting, harvesting, crushing, fermenting, pressing, barreling. Everything put to rest on Halloween.

Three months of rest, then we start again.



Plus giving tours to visiting wine geeks...

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Post #: 473
RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/31/2017 9:42:27 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: dsGris

Sounds like a farmer's life. That and the day job.

Yep. One thing I realized over the past month is reduced travel in my day job, particularly September/October, has been a great help in my "hobby". I'm barely going to make MVP Gold this year (75K for past 2), and my mental and farmer health are much better for it.

Oh, yeah, and a tour for the loafer from Loachapoka and his lovely bride.

< Message edited by ChrisinSunnyside -- 10/31/2017 9:52:04 AM >

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/31/2017 2:22:07 PM   
PinotPhile

 

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Joined: 3/16/2014
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Status: offline 		Sounds interesting, Chris. Always enjoy your posts.

Cheers!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 10/31/2017 7:35:57 PM   
khmark7

 

Posts: 11411
Joined: 7/6/2008
From: Chicago suburbs
Status: offline 		Congrats on completing your 3rd year. We've had some light frost, but nothing heavy enough to drop the leaves in my yard. Expecting that tonight, here on Halloween. My wines have been resting in carboy since late September and now i am working with my purchased grapes from the west coast. In the next two weeks i expect to spend some time outside covering my sensitive European varieties before the often harsh Chicago winter.

So how do us CTers get their hands on some of these Goat Rocks bottles? Is there a secret handshake?

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 11/1/2017 12:02:06 AM   
dsGris

 

Posts: 4712
Joined: 8/31/2009
From: Portland, OR
Status: offline 		Go west young man!

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 11/1/2017 2:51:13 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7843
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From: Cowiche, WA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

So how do us CTers get their hands on some of these Goat Rocks bottles? Is there a secret handshake?
You got to know a guy who knows a guy.

We're still a year or two away from commercial release. Still some legal hoops and I want to make a wine that is drinkable. I thought I might be ready by Berserkers days next year but that's not happening.


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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 11/1/2017 3:55:27 PM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23486
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		The loafer from Loachapoka is such a guy.

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RE: Goat Rocks Vineyard - TRELLISSING Begins! - 11/2/2017 11:41:18 PM   
penguinoid

 

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From: Australia via the UK, now in Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
Status: offline 		I'm late to this thread, but have been reading through it over the past few days. Thanks for sharing -- it seems to be a great small vineyard, and a very interesting venture. Doing something like this is a daydream of mine too, so its good to read about someone actually managing it.

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