A Quick Lesson in Winemaking

Earlier I described the process by which we stomped some of our wine grapes to start turning grapes into wine. Here is where I’ll describe the next step of the process. This is highly simplified, but it’s about my speed. If you want more information, Gerald is your guy.

The white varietal, Marsanne, wasn’t stomped. Instead, Gerald and Uncle Pete pressed it until all the juices ran out. We aren’t interested in saving skins or seeds because we don’t want the tannins in the wine. Also, white skins do nothing for the color. As you can see by the photo, we are left with all the skins, stems, and seeds which are pressed tightly into a “pumice cake” when we are done. It is discarded in the compost bin.

The juice from the reds is left soaking in the skins and seeds which adds color and tannins. Sometimes the fermentation is started immediately, and sometimes it is delayed for a couple of days. Regardless, the mixtures are stirred twice a day to keep the skins and seeds in contact with the juice. They tend to float and dry out in a cap floating on the surface.

Once fermentation is started, we have to test the juice for specific gravity at least daily. Gerald pointed out a slim glass pipette for me to use. I spent over an hour trying to test the different juices because the seeds and skins kept clogging the tube. Peter suggested a much larger plastic pipette the next day. It was faster, but still took a long time. Finally, I was super frustrated at the amount of time and effort this was taking me every night. I wanted to quit the whole thing! That’s when my ever-calm husband provided me with the strainer and cup that moved me from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century and saved my remaining sanity. I still think there’s a better way, but I’ll leave that to an engineer to figure out.

While we were away in the Northeast, Gerald was able to press off the juices of the Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. The resulting pumice cakes likely looked a lot like a purple or brown version of the photo above. Now the wines sit in carboys as they continue to slowly age in a cold room (50 degrees?) for a long time. I’m not sure what else happens, but I’m sure Gerald tinkers with it now and then. It will probably be bottled next summer.

Here is how the winemaker defines himself. Not only is timing important (harvest early or late, ferment right away or wait), but so is temperature (warm fermentation or cold), the yeast used (many, many choices). Does he want a single varietal wine or a blend? Does he want light tannins or strong ones? Red or rosé? Carbonated or flat? What other features does he prefer in a wine? The same berry can produce very different wines depending on how it is processed after it is harvested. Gerald tests different ways of doing each of these things to help him decide on the best way to make wine using our grapes. It’s a dynamic process, and we have a lot of variability from year to year.

We have homemade wines from our vineyard on both coasts. Join us for a glass or two!

Class dismissed.

A Sense of Peace

I have returned from my two weeks in Maryland with Peter. He remains there for another two weeks while I take care of life in Bellevue.

This was an unusual trip in that Peter and I were both in Maryland and we weren’t being rushed from activity to activity like so often happens when I visit. Instead, we got to taste what life will be like next year when it’s just the two of us. Sure, I hope to have a job and other factors will come into play, but it was a good rehearsal. It helped that some of our belongings were shipped on this trip, so we are starting to have familiar pieces of our life around us.

I’m happy to say that I feel deeply and confidently that all will be fine. I’ve fretted and complained and balked about moving, but it’s going to be okay. We have plenty to keep us busy at the farm and at the house, we have family nearby, and we have each other. At the risk of sounding mushy, that’s the best part. Even after over 20 years of marriage, we can happily spend lots of time together.

I’ve also started reading After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving on After Moving In by Susan Miller. The author moved 13 times in 18 years and has much wisdom to impart for amateurs like me. I look forward to reading the rest of the book, and I now look forward to moving to Maryland with Peter.

My First Real Crush

Crushed: Mourvedre, Tinta Çao, Touriga naҫional, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo (by Julia)
Pressed but not crushed: Marsanne

Though I stomped grapes one other time in a small metal bucket, Saturday was my first real crush. The two experiences were quite different. We started the morning at 7:30 in the vineyard harvesting the grapes. Some rows were easier to work with than others. As a newbie, I chose to stick with the easier work. I found the big bunches and snipped, expecting the clusters to fall heavy into my hand to be placed in the plastic lug for collection. Sometimes that happened, but more often some of the grape stems were wrapped around the support wire and needed to be unwrapped or otherwise freed from the trellis. I also found that some clusters were actually multiple clusters that had grown together. There might have been two or even three stems that needed to be snipped before the cluster was free. It wasn’t hard, but it was more tedious that my simple mind expected.
We hauled the lugs to our house where the men set up the stomping system while the women prepared the spa and began soaking our legs in the chlorinated water. I felt like it was a very important part of the pre-cleaning process. Also, the air was in the low 60s and the spa was 101. I won’t pretend that we didn’t enjoy the warmth.

Once the bathtub-sized tub was set up, the grapes were weighed and poured into the tub, it was time for the women to get to work. (I’m not going to hide the very obvious division of labor here.) Three of us would finish cleaning our feet and legs and then climb into the tub. The idea is to stomp all the grapes in the tub in order to free the juices from the berries. We only stomp the red wine. White wine doesn’t have the skins and seeds mixed with it. The process is chilly, slippery, and stimulating. The entire cluster is in the tub: berries and stems. The stems provide an invigorating sole massage while we stomped on the berries.

Gerald provided attendees with wine tastings using previous vintages of the varietal that we were currently crushing. That was a nice touch, but not one that I really took advantage of. First, stomping is slippery, so my hands were preoccupied holding the edges of the tub like gunnels of a canoe. Second, I’m really not supposed to drink wine because it can trigger migraines. Third, I wasn’t ready to add alcohol to my already uncoordinated body. There’s nothing classy about falling down in a tub of grapes. I am proud to say that I never did. It’s all due to my upper body strength as my arms kept me upright while me feet took off in their own direction.
If you think stomping grapes is all fun and frolic, let me introduce you to the workout benefits. First, stomping is similar to walking up a set of stairs (very shallow stairs, perhaps). That up and down movement works the legs while the shoulders and arms sustain the body weight during aforementioned coordination issues. The last part of the stomp is to lift up all the crushed clusters and run them through a coarse screen to separate the stems from the rest of the crush. It involves a lot of bending and massaging in a way that is similar to kneading bread. Trust me, it works the shoulders. As proof of the workout, I had an enormous appetite on Saturday night. On Sunday, my body ached in ways I didn’t expect. (My hands hurt from stomping grapes? Yes, they were holding tight to the sides of the tub for extended amounts of time.)

After each stomping session, the women hosed off the grapes skins and detritus and headed back to the spa. There’s nothing like warm water to ease the muscles. The men processed the crush and cleaned up the stomping area.

If you would like to participate in a future crush, send me a note. Crushes can occur between the end of August and the end of October, weather permitting.

Checking In

It’s been awhile since I last blogged because, well, life got in the way. Mostly, I’ve been taking care of my family – and other families. I have also completed four quilts, one of which is headed to Maryland right now. Peter has been to Maryland twice since that last blog (he was here for the earthquake and Hurricane Irene), and now I’ve joined him for a trip of two weeks.

As early October rolled around, I rented a Relocube from ABF. I was able to fill it (with the help of Allison’s male friends) with furniture and belongings that we don’t need to keep in Bellevue any longer. There are some desks, chairs, bookcases, china, and lots of Erin’s stuff. I even managed to get the Dogloo thrown in at the top.

The cube takes about a week to get from Bellevue to Charlotte Hall, so we anticipate its arrival on Friday of this week. You could say that the move is finally becoming real to me. We still have plenty of stuff left in Bellevue, but having some of our belongings in Charlotte Hall will start to make it feel more like ours. The house is currently furnished with second-hand goods, and it doesn’t really feel like our home.

I’ve worked a little in the yard earlier this week and seen all the trees that came down in Hurricane Irene. I also picked up a bunch of black walnuts and osage oranges, risking my life in the process. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but not overly so. As I was picking up these fruits, others were dropping around me. I really don’t want to describe what it feels like to have a 10” diameter fruit fall on me. I was tempted to wear a bike helmet during the 30 minutes I was picking up black walnuts. They are less likely to knock me out, but I still think they can cause a good bruise.

I’ll write plenty more in the next couple of weeks. This entry is more to let you know that we’re still alive and slowly working on the moving process.

What I Look Forward To In Maryland

I promised in an earlier post that I would list what I look forward to about moving to Maryland. This is difficult because I haven’t lived there although I grew up about an hour away. Give me 18 years, and I’ll have a list to battle the Bellevue list (I hope). The items are in no particular order.

I am looking forward to:
• Randy’s BBQ in Hughesville.
• Finding a job. (Earlier today I searched both the DC and Seattle markets for the exact same position. DC listed 75 possibilities; Seattle listed 3.)
• Renovating our house. I really look forward to making it functional for how we live today rather than living with a floor plan that worked 130 years ago.
• Lightning bugs.
• Thunder storms. I was terrified of them when I was little, but now I kind of like them. The Northwest has tiny little storms with a couple of booms and then they’re done. The East has real whoppers that can scare you half to death! It’s good to get the adrenaline pumping now and then.
• Warm weather and sun starting in spring and lasting until fall.
• Snow that is quickly plowed on relatively flat streets.
• Volunteering less. I have volunteered an extreme amount over many years, and it’s time for a break. People in Bellevue have learned that I don’t usually say no. People in Maryland may not learn that one about me. Frankly, I might not even have the time to volunteer.
• Spending significantly more time with my husband since we’ll be more likely to be on the same coast. In 2010, Peter was in Maryland 31% of the year. It’s looking like it will be 36% this year.
• Not having to vote for the fire district or the port authority commissioners. Really, how can I possibly know who is the most qualified?
• A short line at public offices. Since we are rural, our licensing lines aren’t three hours long, and our post office lines are almost non-existent.
• Seeing my family more often. I have four brothers and 10 Thomason nieces and nephews. When they travel, they are more likely to head east rather than west.
• Kayaking on Macintosh Run which is the river alongside the winery. Next door to the winery is a kayak rental company.
• Audiobooks. While I don’t look forward to a long commute, I’ll likely have one. That will allow me lots of time to listen to audiobooks.
• Learning new skills as a chicken farmer. I like the idea of trying to be responsible for at least some of my own food. I don’t know how it will go, but I’m willing to give it a try.
• Reuniting with my dog. He’s currently on loan to my parents until we make our final move. I miss him terribly.
• The sounds of crickets, cicadas, and frogs. Also, the bird population is different. I like the sounds of my youth.
• The pure adventure of it all. I moved to Bellevue when my firstborn was a week old. We had new jobs, a new child, a new community, and not a single friend within 1000 miles. I had never been to the Pacific Northwest, but I embraced the opportunity and made it through with a grin on my face. It’s time to do the same thing in reverse.

Shipping Maryland Wine

Maryland wineries have been fighting some archaic alcohol laws within the state. The state is making headway, but what appears to be an easy fix on the surface is never quite so straight forward at its root.

During the last legislative session, Maryland lawmakers agreed to lift the 78-year ban on shipping wine to or from the state. The ban not only prevented residents from receiving wine shipments, it also prevented wineries from the ability to ship their wine to wine competitions. From a purely economic standpoint, the state had much to lose. The ability of Maryland wines to place well in large wine competitions could only enhance Maryland wine sales and, in the process, tax coffers.

The ban was lifted as of July 1. In my simple mind, I expected that everyone would suddenly be able to ship whatever they wanted however they wanted. If only. First, the United States Postal Service does not allow shipping of alcohol ever. So my first thought of simply mailing a box of our wine to ourselves in Washington needed to be revised. Maybe I’d have to use UPS.

Next, the new law requires a permit in order to ship wine. For wineries to ship to a residence in Maryland, they must pay $200 for a permit. Individuals are not allowed to ship wine themselves. Retail wine-of-the-month clubs also remain banned.

Finally, each state to which the wine is shipped may also require a shipper’s permit. For Washington, the winery would be required to pay $200 per year to ship to individual residences. Since the Washington market for Port of Leonardtown wine isn’t likely to be much larger than Peter and me, securing a permit seems to be out of the question. (If you’re interested in learning more, the Wine Institute hosts an excellent website with information about all the states. http://www.wineinstitute.org/)

Instead, I will continue to hand carry my Port of Leonardtown wine in my checked luggage each time I return to Seattle. I also won’t promise a bottle of Maryland wine to any of my friends anymore. If you want it, you’ll have to meet me in Maryland.

Why We Have a Vineyard in Maryland

I can’t tell you how many times people in Washington have asked me why we have a vineyard in Maryland. If you’re not aware, you need to understand that Washington produces some world class wines. How many world class wines have you heard about from Maryland? Hopefully, Port of Leonardtown will be one. Maryland isn’t recognized for much in the Northwest. Even their famous blue crabs can’t measure up to our Dungeness crabs. The question is a fair one.

My husband’s grandfather bought about 240 acres in Mechanicsville, Maryland, in the 1940s. The land was originally part of a much larger tract known as “Long Looked For, Come At Last.” For many years, the land was rented out to area farmers who grew primarily tobacco, eventually growing corn, barley, Christmas trees, and a few other crops. Tobacco is a labor-intensive crop that is hard on the soil, and it was a relief to not have it growing anymore. With the demise of the American tobacco industry, the family was at a loss about what to do with the land. They brainstormed about a number of different ideas until one idea seemed to stand out from the rest.

Peter’s brother began thinking that a vineyard was the way to go. The rest of the family was skeptical, but Gerald spent hours researching the process and felt strongly that we should give it a try. The family agreed to plant one acre and see what happened. In 2004, we planted 25 vines each of nine different varietals. (Sangiovese, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Touriga Naҫional, Tinta Çao, Viognier, Marsanne, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc)The family learned about planting, spraying, pests, weather, microclimates, harvesting, and making wine.

Since then, we have added five other varietals (Nebbiola, Barbera, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Albariño) and placed most of them into production rows. We are also among the founding members of the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative which runs the Port of Leonardtown Winery. (Don’t get me started about calling this “wine growers.” I seem to be the only one who cares that we grow grapes not wine.) My understanding is that the co-op currently has 10 member vineyards who volunteer their time doing all aspects of work at the winery.

In 2005, we bought our house in Charlotte Hall. Family members were traveling every week from as far away as Leesburg, Virginia, to work the vineyard, but they had no place to stay the night. The house on the farm is a four room clapboard house that really can’t accommodate multiple families. The house we found is three miles away and was originally built as a home and a dorm to a nearby school. It currently is configured with eight bedrooms and five baths. We now have family around every weekend and often even more than that.

What began as an idea for a hobby to keep the farm going has evolved into a growing family business that will probably remain with us well into retirement.