High-Tech Olfactometer Testing

     Another one of the high tech tools we were able to use at the Penn State class was this Olfactometer.  The Olfactometer generates dozens of different smells at the press of a button.  One of the machines generated bad smells and the other generated good smells.  Both sets of smells are associated with wines and the point was to identify any flaws that might develop in your wines and stop them before they become a problem.  The old and the new ways of training our noses both work equally well.  I must admit that the Olfactometer certainly was fun and the number of smells was beyond my comprehension.  It was a great opportunity for us to recognize our strengths and weaknesses. What a great weekend!

Old Fashion Sensory Skills Kits

In the wine sensory class we experienced at Penn State under tne direction of Denise Gardener and Mario Mazza, we employed several state-of-the arts classroom techniques to learn and master the art and science of smell, sight and taste.  One of the take home experiences was the use of the old fashion Wine Faults Analysis kits that have been used for years by wine judges to practice and hone their skills.  The three different kits teach you to identify and learn individual smells that are associated with all the great wines of the world.  It is truly a mind and olfactory numbing experience.  The pleasant smells are certainly less memorable and therefore less recognizable than the unpleasant smells.  The power of association is an amazing evolutionary tool.  We seek to avoid those unpleasant experiences like rotten eggs and sweat, body odor and moldy earth.  But we seek out the pleasant smells so we can enjoy our everyday experiences.  The whole class is amazing.

Wine Sensory Testing

Last weekend, Becky, Trudy and I were privledged to attend a wine Sensory Class where we were educated about wine faults, judging and curing defects.  It was a very interesting class and an essential tool to improve our overall wine quality.  The class was conducted in a sensory classroom and one of the lab tools was this computerized sensory rating panel.  All samples were given blind and assigned a random number.  Then, two reference glasses A and B were also assigned to each of the three categories  of defects.  The three compounds in the white wine group were acetic acid, ethyl acetate and TCA.  The three red compounds were ethyl acetate/acetic acid (VA), brettamiacin (Brett) and hydrogen sulfides (thriols and mercaptans).  We were then asked to rank the wines relative to one another and then relative to our two reference wines.   The lower standard was sub threshold and the higher concentration was above threshold. The computer then gives you a print out as well as periodic instant feedback to help you ground your sensory experience.  Amazing what technology can do in the classroom!

Is That Wine on Your Shawl?

 

     Last week at the PA Farm Show Cassel Vineyards of Hershey had a great week in the Commercial Wine Competitions.  One of the things we did not know was that we were also doing great in the Sheep to Shaw competition as well.  A team of ladies used our red wine (Finish Line Red and Concord) to dye their wool and make a shawl that sold for an unbelievable $900.  The shawl was constructed using wool from Ashley Shaw’s purebred Leicester Longwool Sheep named Flo.  The shawl was completed using the theme of Wine and Cheese as the undyed wool represented the cheese and the wool dyed with Cassel Vineyards wine represented the wine.  The beautiful shawl was not the first one completed but their beautiful artwork spawned a bidding war that ended up pushing the price beyond their wildest dreams.  After the sale of their prize winning shawl, the ladies donated their entire check to the kids in the Dauphin County 4-H Fur and Feathers chapter.  To top it all off they also sold their prototype shawl to a buyer for $400 and after paying expenses,donated that money as well.  

     Not only did Cassel Vineyards win the Best of Show in American Wine, we also got an endorsement on the televisedbroadcast during the Sheep to Shawl Competition and in the end everyone came out a winner.

Decisions, Decisions

     Though we are closed until April, there are quite a few things that are happening behind the locked doors at Cassel Vineyards of Hershey.  We just finished transfering some of our wines and are awaiting the Crossflow filter to treat our wines in order to eliminate the need for any chemical stabilizers.  Then it's on to bottling the first week of March so that we will have fresh, new wines for our Spring opening.  When we start bottling our new wines, you will notice several new blends and some sharp, new packaging.  We have never used red bottles before but plan to use it this year for our new Red Silks Rose' and the new 375 ml. Clear glass bottles will really make our new Late Harvest Vidal look beautiful.  Next we plan to work on shipping for all our customers who live out-of-state.  More on that soon as events continue to develop.

Pictures from Bud Analysis

    Here are the pictures I promised from my laboratory analysis of the buds I collected in the vineyard on Wed.  The first picture shows the tools I used to dissect and any like the canes.  The dissecting scope with binocular lenses allows for much easier viewing than with a hand lense.  The second picture is a shot of a primary bud from a Chambourcin plant that shows very good protection and healthy bud development.  The second bud is from our Chardonnay and it shows a healthy looking primary bud (top center) but the secondary bud looks brown and dead.  The 3d bud on the bottom right side of the picture looks fine as well.  Since we still have 2 more weeks of very cold weather I will need to continue to monitor the situation before we begin to prune for the spring.  If a large number of the buds appear to have died back. We will need to leave several alternative canes and buds so that we can maximize our production regardless of what our setbacks for this winter are.

Bud Necrosis in the Vineyard

  Our temperatures have been flirting on the threshold of our vines tolerance, so.....

     I went out to the vineyard today to take some cuttings to test for bud death.  We have had one of the coldest winters in recent years.  Certainly, it has never been this cold for the vines which we planted in 2008.  Much of the research for grapes in our area warns of primary bud necrosis at temperatures below -5 degrees F.  Our temperatures have been flirting with 0 for several weeks now and I want to see definitively if our buds are suffering.  Hopefully the gradual drop throughout Nov. and early December prepared the vines for this cold snap.  Primary bud death is very difficult to predict because there are many factors involved including type, site aspects, moisture and vine health.  It seems like we are in good shape but I will be sure to follow up with some pictures of the buds I am going to survey.

PA State Farm Show Success

      We are very gratified by our success this year at the PA State Farm Show Wine Competition.  This year we took 4 wines and received 3 awards including the Best American Wine in the Show.  The Blush is always a favorite with the judges and this year we won gold and Best of Show.  Our dry Vidal Blanc and our Chocolate Port also won bronze medal awards. Of the 4 wines we entered, 2 of them are now sold out and the other two including the Blush and the Chocolate Port have been two more of our customers favorites.  It's a great feeling when you work hard to grow and produce the best wine you can, and your customers show their appreciation by buying and enjoying your product.  Now to have judges in a competition verify your hard work is such a nice way to start the new year.  Thank you to everyone in the last year, we look forward to seeing you again in the upcoming new season which will start again on March 15 th.