P I C N I C

Today I started working on the cart again after a long period of absence. I finished the floor and am now planning the layout of windows and doors for the walls to be built.

There were some pears lying around so I made little tarts with them. I added sugar, lemon zest, vanilla bean flesh, and a sauvignon blanc reduction. I was surprised as the pear became more intense when baked.

Doing some tests on the musts. The Chardonnay is fairly ripe, at 24.5 brix. The Sauvignon Blanc is pretty acidic, at 0.98%. I’m not sure if that’s more then would be preferable, but it seems high. The Pinot Noir seems pretty spot on at 24 brix, or 12.5% potential alcohol, and 0.63% acid. In any case, the Sauvignon Blanc tasted like tart lemons and powdered lemonade, the Syrah a bit like watermelon, the Chardonnay a bit like apple cider.

I went back down to Mosier to get some more Syrah as a kind of experiment. I now have Syrah from the 11th, at 23 brix, and from the 15th, at 24 brix. Not a big difference, but still, two different levels of ripeness. With such a small quantity of grapes I didn’t bother getting a crusher/destemmer and so me and Elly did it by hand and foot, the old fashioned way.

I thought having a glass of wine while treading would inspire me, as it did.