One of the winemaking challenges in Virginia is the variable Summer weather. Beautiful hot August days can turn stormy and make a perfect crop fall apart before it’s ready to come in. Balancing between ripeness and rot is a constant dilemma in the Old Dominion.
As any Virginia wine lover knows, the 2011 harvest was a challenge, with one tropical storm after another racking fragile, harvest-ready vineyards. Some fruit was harvested before the ideal brix (sugar) level was reached. What is a winemaker to do with grapes that aren’t quite ripe enough to produce the quality wine that we expect from the Monticello appellation? Turn to a uniquely Virginia solution, that’s what!
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