WESTFIELD, N.Y. — At New York state’s oldest estate winery, harvest season is well underway.
Third generation farmer Fred Johnson has owned Johnson Estate Winery for almost 30 years, and grows 13 varieties of grapes, spanning more than 100 acres of vines.
“Marechal Foche has turned out to be our most popular single variety of wine at the winery,” Johnson said.
What You Need To Know
Harvest season is currently underway for this year’s wine grape crop
Weather conditions have been ideal, for the most part, this year
The grape harvest should be wrapped up the end of October
That’s the grape crews were picking when Spectrum News 1 hopped on for a birdseye view of the process, from the picker to the crusher. This semi-dry variety is pumped through a heat exchanger to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, before it rests in a tank and then pressed, before sitting in one of the winery’s 8,000-gallon tanks to ferment.
This year’s harvest comes after a cool, misty and rainy spring, followed by a hot summer — conditions the winery hasn’t seen in years.
“It’s actually a perfect season. We got the water early. We could have done without the cool, but that’s okay. And then we got the sunshine. You know, lots of brilliant sunshine. And dry as we went into harvest and that is perfect, just perfect for wine grapes,” Johnson said.
Yet he says those perfect conditions may also limit the yield, or number of grapes harvested.
“The berries are a little smaller this year, but it makes them much sweeter and more flavorful,” Johnson said.
That’s a similar output expected for most wineries upstate, also in the midst of harvesting, say leaders with the New York State Wine Grape Growers.
“A little bit of stress, but it’s exciting for sure. It’s what we all wait for and we look forward to each vintage. And they’re all a little bit unique,” said Chris King, president of the state Wine Grape Growers.
The grower-based organization has about 100 members statewide and deals with industry related issues, including the weather, whether it be bud damage because of frost or sunshine leading up to harvest.
“Our September weather is kind of the most important in terms of ripening and the overall quality of the vintage. And generally, I would say we’re looking at about an average crop but really high quality across the board,” said King.
It’s similar at Johnson Estate, where Fred Johnson may not be able to control the weather, but says like a card counter playing Blackjack, if he pays attention, he can play the odds.
“We look at the forecast. We look at our varieties. We look at our soils, and based on all of that, we take decisions in advance of Mother Nature. Be intelligently prepared. If we do that, over time, we’ll win,” said Johnson.
The harvest usually wraps up the end of October before crews prep the vines for winter.
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