The Kids Help us in the Vineyard

   At Cassel Vineyards we don't employ anyone but family and extended family.  We  pride ourselves in the work we accomplish and think that it teaches our children valuable lessons about life.  I've heard it called sweat equity and there is certainly something to be said for being paid for a good day's work.  Here Elliot and Colton come in from the field for lunch after a morning of putting up bird netting.  When the kids need some money for a date, i-tunes, a trip to Turkey Hill or a movie we send them to the vineyard to earn it.  We know that the work will be done well and the results show in our wine.  So raise a glass to our family of workers.

Relax and Enjoy the Weather

     This evening the cold front passed through and ushered in some much needed relief from the last couple days of humidity.  The last several days were 80's and 90's and the humidity made me sweat just thinking about working outside.  However, the Cabernet Franc needed to be pruned, leaf pulled and fruit thinned.  Thanks to a heroic effort by Becky, Jody, Lee, Colton, Peter, Quentin, Elliot and Dominic we finished the Cab Franc, got the bird netting in place and made the vineyard ready for the thunderstorms that we knew were going to arrive each evening.  It was an awesome effort and we did it together. 
     As you can see, I took the opportunity to relax and enjoy the literal fruit of our labors this evening.  The weather has broken and we are in for a week of cooler temperatures and lower humidity.  And we all rejoice about that.

A Beautiful Night for Jazz

       Tonight was an beautiful night for Jazz in the Vines.   A great band and a great group of young (at heart) fans enjoyed the music and wine.  Tonight's feature wine was a Red Sangria and it tasted delicious in the evening shade.  Several new faces came by along with some of our old friends.  We will continue to host Jazz in the vines for the next 4 weeks so stop by if you have a free afternoon.  The clouds threatened rain several times but we made it through the evening without getting wet.  Hopefully we will continue to have that same luck as the Friday nights of August begin next week. 

The Bird Netting is in Place!

Here are pictures of the Chardonnay grapes before and after we installed our bird netting to prevent the birds from eating the grapes.  Last year we made the mistake of thinking that we wouldn't need any bird netting.  By the time we ordered it and had it delivered and installed, half of our grapes were eaten.  This year we are putting the nets up early and trying to make them bird-proof long before the grapes ripen.  Even though things are ripening ahead of schedule this year, we finished putting up the nets on July 24th.  All we need to do is make the seams bird tight and then hope that the birds just pass us by in search of easier pickings.  It was great to be able to put the nets up without being in a panic as we watched our grapes being eaten by flocks of starlings. 

New Tanks - Big Time

   We got 3 new tanks today and it feels like we made the big time or hit the lottery.  These beauties are twice the capacity of our old tanks but take up the same amount of space.  We will use them for our 3 most popular varietals (Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc and Concord) which will reach their production capacity this year.      Chris likes the little sample spout on each tank which allows you to get a glass of wine to "check for quality".  I'm a little worried about the number of sample glasses that this will allow him to take without being monitored.
     The new tanks are just what we need to boost our production to the next level.  We have now been making wine for 3 years and each year we have doubled our production and sold out.  This year looks like we are going to sell out again and with the help of these 3 tanks we should be able to double production one more time.  Then we will have to buy more grapevines if we want to get any more tanks.  We will just have to see where it all goes. 

    

Hummelstown's 250th Birthday Party

   The Hummelstown 250th Anniversary Celebration came to a close this past Sunday with the Garden Tour.  The entire week was a celebration which began on Monday with the Taste of Hummelstown and ended with the garden tour.  Cassel Vineyards of Hershey was selected by the committee to produce and bottle the Limited Collectors Edition 250 Anniversary Set of wine.   Our 2011 Concord and Niagara sold extremely well and we made many new friends and reconnected with many familiar friends and fans.  It was a very eventful week with parades, a movie, walking tours, fireworks and a community picnic.  Those were just a few of the events and each business in the borough contributed to the celebration by offering a 250th Anniversary special.  Our collectors edition was limited to 250 sets and sells for $25.00. 
    Now that the busy week is behind us, it is time to reflect on the wonderful community and what a special place Hummelstown is.  A special thanks to the 250th Anniversary Committee for all the work that they did to organize and execute such a fantastic series of events.  We hope that our small contribution helped to make Hummelstown a better place for everyone who chose to celebrate and participate in such a fun event.
   Happy Birthday Hummelstown!!!

Third Time is a Charm

         Our new directional sign went up on Rout 39 today.  The old one had the word vineyard spelled in Old English, Vinyard.  It was very nice but I was tired of people asking why we spelled Vineyard without an E.  So I called PennDOT and told them I wanted the sign fixed since it cost $1600 and the original proof was spelled correctly.  They reassured me that they would make the sign right and today the new sign went up.  We were very excited until we saw it. It is also very nice but our name is misspelled.  Cassel with two Ls.
       The way I look at it is that there is only one other word they can misspell and that is the word Winery.  Do you think they will make that mistake.  You just have to laugh when it comes to government red tape.  If I got angry I would be a bitter man.  Maybe they will get it right for next Summer's tourists. We can only hope.

Out of State Visitors

   Today at the winery we had a lot of out-of-state vistors.  The weather was wet and rainy so many people left Hersheypark early and found other things to do inside.  My friends in this picture were from New York and loved our tasting room and wines.  Throughout the day we had two families from New Youk, one from Indiana, a lady from MD and a couple from Western PA.  Meeting all these new friends is one of my favorit parts of owning a winery.  We really had fun tasting, touring and talking about the grapes and wines.  Even the horses cooperated and put on quite a show in the cool weather.  All-in-all, it was a great day.

Some Much Needed Rain

   Our vines were relieved from their stress today by a much needed rain that left about 1/2 inch of rain and much cooler temperatures throughout our region.  The last week has been hot and dry much like the two weeks that preceded it.  There was very little rain and the temperatures were in the 90's.  As you walked through the vineyard the breeze blew the leaves and they made a rattling sound like dry leaves in the fall.  Today the vineyard is making sounds of thanks as the leaves are whispering and the water drops are dripping from the clusters.  It is so nice to hear, see and smell the vineyard in the moist 70 degree weather.  Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief including the vines.

Jazz Among the Wines

We had a great night tonight with a wonderful jazz trio inside the winery.  The weather did not cooperate so we set up inside.  Everyone who came out really enjoyed the music and wine.  We plan to continue the music in the vines (if the weather cooperates) through the months of July and August.  If the weather does not cooperate we plan to have the music inside among the wines.  Please put it on you schedule to join us.  Bring a picinic lunch or a snack and we will provide the refreshments.  The music begins at 6:00 and ends around 8:00 PM.  Hope to see you soon.

Beautiful Berries

      The Chardonnay berries are becoming more and more beautiful each day.  Looking at them as they mature is filling me with anticipation for what they will soon become.  The next big hurdle is the threat of the birds.  They stop by each morning in large flocks to check if the berries are ready yet.  Next week we plan to erect our bird nets to discourage them from taking any of our crop.  Last week Chris and his team spent many hours standing the vines back in position after the huge storm that swept through the vineyard during the last week of June.  Things are now back to normal as we await the next challenge.  As I wait to see what is in store for the rest of the season, I will continue to watch the clusters fill out and become mature grapes.  Stop by and check it out.

Jazz Night at the Winery

On July 6th we had our very first Jazz music night.  Even though the weather was very, very warm, we had a  great turnout.  Many thanks go out to the wonderful musicians - Paul Bratcher, Mike Evans, and Dave Knott.  They did a fabulous job. 

Please join us this Friday, July 13th and next Friday, July 20th from 6-8pm for another night of music, wine and great friends.  There will be light snacks of cheese, crackers, veggies, chips and pretzels as well.  Bring a lawn chair and enjoy!!!