Old Technology vs. New

Some wineries like to dazzle their customers with pictures of their expensive, high-tech toys. Unfortunately we don't own any of those so I thought I would show you how we use less sophisticated equipment and spend more time actually working in the vines. Time and labor saving devices are nice but they don't always deliver the promised returns on their investment. Chris still enjoys using his old tractor which he got from our late Grandpa Herman Hess. He has overhauled it several times and it still does a great job when we need to get tools, workers or equipment somewhere in the vineyard. Sometimes it's not the newest, brightest or most expensive equipment but instead it's whatever gets the job done that is the best tool for the job.

Pruning the Vines

We have been very busy the last several weeks in the vineyard. When the rain stopped and the sun came out, the vines began to grow like crazy. In the pictures above Lee Cassel and his friend Quentin are working on the Cabernet Franc vines to control their growth and increase their production. They are training the vines using the Scott/Henry pruning technique which channels the vines growth both upward and downward simultaneously.

In the second photo, Becky and Jody Cassel prune the Vidal Blanc vines using a VSP (Vertical Shoot Placement) trellis technique. This system forces the fines to grow upward through a series of catch wires. Both techniques are being used to maximize production and improve the quality of the fruit. All we know is that it takes a lot of work to make a good bottle of wine.

Building for the Future

Paul Vigna conducted an interview yesterday over the phone and wrote a short but informative blog in yesterday's Patriot News PennLive Entertainment Column on-line
http://blog.pennlive.com/wine/2011/06/cassel_vineyards_of_hershey_readies_for_permanent_structure.html

End of School, Beginning of Summer

Well, the school year is just about over and it's time to begin work in the vineyard. The weather has finally improved and the sunshine is drying out the vines. As a result of all the rain the vines are growing at an amazing rate. The grapes began blooming last week and the final variety to bloom is the Cabernet Franc. Tonight as we were working to tuck the shoots up and under the catch wires and every time we moved the flowers clouds of pollen would fall on our arms, heads and backs. It looks like this year will be a good year for filling out the clusters with fruit.

Every evening treats us to a beautiful sunset as the sun's rays bathe the long rows of vines and the shadows lengthen. Becky took some very nice pictures but you don't get the full effect without the breeze and the sounds of the birds and insects. Trust me it's a beautiful experience. It makes the work so much more enjoyable than our day jobs. Hopefully, you can come out and visit and see what I mean.