Texas Grape Harvest Has Begun
The first of two harvests in Texas has begun. The hybrid grapes grown along the Texas Gulf Coast is the first of these two distinct grape harvests with the second harvest of grapes being the classic grapes (vitis vinifera) such as Tempranillo, Merlot, Syrah, Viognier, Chardonnay, and more will start around the middle of August, coinciding with the grape harvest of vitis vinifera in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Houstonians volunteered to bring in the crop of Blanc du Bois grapes at Wild Stallion Vineyards in Harris County. Other local vineyards are gearing up with Blanc du Bois being exceptionally “textbook” this year. The sugar levels and pH/acid in the grapes looks great with low pH levels means good acid levels to provide a grape juice perfect for a well-structured finished wine. The sugar levels in these grapes are more than twice the sugar levels found in grapes that you can purchase in grocery stores. The chemistry of these Blanc du Bois are “textbook perfect” for this grape varietal. To pick the perfect grapes to make award-winning wines, you should have three indicators to say it is time to pick, being:
• Chemistry as outlined above
• Grapes show they are true to their varietal characteristics in taste, smell, and appearance.
• Grape maturity shown in full development of juices, pulp, and grape seeds. Those seeds should be brown and taste nutty. Young grapes have green, woody seeds.
Vineyards along the Gulf Coast from Brownsville in the south to Beaumont in the east are keeping a close eye on their grapes and the weather. Messina Hof Winery and Bernhardt Winery will be harvesting their grapes this weekend. Bernhardt Winery invites you to experience the Harvest and CRUSH as the Blanc du Bois Grapes are de-stemmed and crushed with the pulp, seeds and skins placed in a bladder press to extract all of the juice out of the pulp. Please let Bernhardt Winery near Plantersville off State Highway 105 know you will be there to help by signing online at www.BernhardtWinery.com. Instructions for the harvesters should start around 8ish with harvest done in two hours or less, depending on number of volunteers. Wear close-toed shoes, sun screen, and appropriate clothing for working outside in the morning sun.
Other vineyards will be harvesting this weekend and possibly next weekend, depending on the weather. Hot, sunny, dry days are ahead for south Texas, but Hurricane Beryl might be bringing rains to south Texas this coming Monday and Tuesday. If rain is pending, crews get into the vineyard to harvest those grapes since rains will plump up the grapes with excessive water, diluting the sugars and grape characteristics. Dry, sunny weather is wanted as the grapes mature so the leaves can go through photosynthesis to provide grapes more sugars. Dry weather is wanted since rains will cause molds and mildew to flourish causing harm to the grapes. Inorganic fungicides are normally used to control these molds and mildews with the use of these fungicides halted before the pending harvest. The incoming Blanc du Bois grapes arriving in wineries this week outside of the dry weather should provide Texas wineries with outstanding Blanc du Bois grapes for their white wines. Lennoir grapes are also being harvested with these red grapes being used by wineries to make Ports such as Messina Hof Winery and red wines. It looks like another great year for Texas grapes!