Vidal Blanc

  We are preparing to harvest our Vidal Blanc grapes next weekend.  All the numbers look right and the grapes are tasting sweeter than they have ever tasted in the past 3 years.  This fall has dried out dramatically and it is translating into much higher sugar content in the grapes.  These higher sugar numbers could mean higher alcohol if that were the route we chose.  However, alcohol in white wines tend to upset their balance so one needs to exercise extreme caution.  Our Vidal Blanc has the potential to produce a wine with an alcohol content of 13% or more if it were fermented to 0% residual sugar.  However, last year proved that drinkers in Central Pa liked our Vidal with a Semi-sweet finish.  As a result, we plan to replicate our Vidal with enough residual sugar to balance out the fruit and melon tastes which our vineyard seems to produce so well.  If you want to pick these grapes with us, we will begin picking next weekend if the weather continues to cooperate.