I was going to devote this month’s Ted’s Cellar to an examination of Georgia wines. We had set up several blind tastings that included local selections and a host of similar foreign and domestic wines. But something happened about two weeks ago that made me change my mind.
This spring in Georgia has been quite an unusual one. Mid March brought temperatures in the eighties. One day it was winter, and the next was summer. It seemed like all of the plants were exhausting themselves trying to catch up. Buds and flowers were everywhere. Clare and I went to North Georgia on the Wine Highway Weekend. The weather was rainy but warm. Vines were sprouting at every vineyard we visited. It was glorious. Unfortunately, this was all about to come to an end.
The last week of March the bottom fell out of the thermometer. Newscasters were reporting that Easter would be colder than Christmas! I immediately thought of the vineyards.
I heard reports that it was an all out defensive effort to protect the vines. Heaters were used throughout the vineyards, bales of hay were burned, even helicopters were brought in to keep the air circulating. All at a cost reaching $1000 an hour! David Harris of Blackstock Vineyard and Winery said “We had about 85% or more bud break (vines beginning to bud). All that was out was completely lost to the freeze. Wood damage beyond the green tissue loss is more difficult to determine at this early stage. The temperature dropped to 24-25 degrees Farenheit at our weather station and 21-22 in our lowest spots. If the wood damage is minimal, secondary buds can generate about one-quarter to one-third of a normal crop.”
For Blackstock, this is especially devastating. They are Georgia’s largest grape producer. In a normal year they keep about one-third of their fruit for in house winemaking. So they should have enough for their own bottling. However, they stand to lose close to $350,000 in grapes sales. For small wineries this amount is not easy to digest. So for the coming year, David Harris and other local wineries will have to depend on wine sales to see them through. In his words, “Give Blackstock Wine for Christmas!”
Like most Americans even we wine lovers tend to focus most of our attention on the big names and forget about those struggling to preserve their niche against all odds. If wine sales were a red carpet event, California , France and Italy would receive the lion’s share of media attention. I don’t want to be in the position of always having to shop the big wineries, so I will continue to support the boutiques and encourage local color!
Every state in the union has at least one winery. Find out if there are any near you and take the time to visit. You will be dazzled by the beauty of the land, informed by the passion of the winemaker, and amazed at the quality of the wine. Those of you living in the Southeast, your wineries need you! Get out there and support your local winery!
To find the wineries in your state, click here.
To participate in local wine events, click here.
