It was another great harvest from the vineyard this year. We had a lot of rain early, but then the skies cleared and, thankfully, nothing but sunshine from mid-August through the end of harvest. The most remarkable aspects of this growing season were the moderate temperatures and (relatively) low humidity. We counted only seven days in the 90's and many nighttime lows in the 50's! These moderate temperatures allowed for the development of enhanced flavor and complexity in the grapes. We have extremely high hopes for the quality of the wine made from the 2004 harvest.
We harvest all of our grapes by hand, with the assistance of dozens of enthusiastic volunteer grape pickers. After a day's harvest is done, a great lunch in the vineyard is prepared by Chef Kay Tucker, accompanied by Somerset Ridge wines. A good time is had by all. Many, many thanks to all of our volunteers this season. Special thanks to the Kansas City chapters of Slow Food and Les Dames d'Escoffier, and the Miami County Master Gardeners. |
