Dec 9, 2005
How much is too much?
The grapes that this young Pinot Grigio vine is carrying in December would be enough to make 4 bottles of Stormhoek. But the crop is too heavy to give the quality we need. We’ll cut some of the grapes away this week.
A vine’s genetic future is in the grapes’ seeds. Every season the vine plans and provides for its next generation the best it can.
If nature and our viticulture have stimulated too many grapes, the vine will be overloaded during the high stress period of ripening. That can result in burnout, a permanently unhealthy vine.
So when we see Stormhoek vines that have a bumper crop, we get out the clippers and cut bunches off. It means that hundreds of virtual bottles are never made, never sold.
But we really don’t have a choice.
One Comment, Comment or Ping
club-month-wine
Wonderful pages! Keep up the grat work.
Nov 28th, 2006