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Atwater Vineyards

Atwater Vineyards
 
December 29, 2023 | Atwater Vineyards

NYE Holiday Hours

Ring out 2023 with us! We are open for tastings and wine by the glass/bottle this weekend:

𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 12/30, 11:00 𝗮.𝗺. - 6:00 𝗽.𝗺.
𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 12/31, 11:00 𝗮.𝗺. - 6:00 𝗽.𝗺.

We will be closed New Year’s Day.

We look forward to seeing you before 2024! 🥂

Time Posted: Dec 29, 2023 at 9:41 AM Permalink to NYE Holiday Hours Permalink
Atwater Vineyards
 
December 21, 2023 | Atwater Vineyards

Vineyard Mystery

Mystery Grapes

Both the winemaking and vineyard teams had a fun surprise waiting for them this harvest. White grapes were found growing in our new Syrah block. It seems that at the nursery, these mystery vines were accidentally mixed in with our Syrah vines that we planted in 2022. With this being the first crop of the vines’ life the vineyard team only now noticed the imposters this year after veraison had started and the real Syrah vines began to change color, exposing the fraudulent white grapes. After much speculation and a long wait, a DNA test revealed the vines’ heritage was that of Albillo Mayor, a grape that is primarily grown in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain. The winemaking team decided to take advantage of this conundrum and get creative with the mystery white grape. Since the Syrah vines were only two years old and produced a small crop, they had to be handpicked. Considering the circumstances, the winemakers chose to do a co-ferment of the Syrah and the mystery white grape (note: the winemaking and vineyard team didn't know the variety until several weeks after it was harvested) and also decided to take advantage of the fact that they were handpicked by using a technique called cold carbonic fermentation.

Cold Carbonic Fermentation

Cold carbonic fermentation is where whole grapes and a small amount of juice are placed inside of a vessel, covered with CO[2] gas to displace the oxygen, and then completely sealed off. When done correctly, the whole berries begin to ferment intracellularly (inside of the whole intact berry), creating unique flavors and aromas that aren't commonly found in standard fermentation. Once the berries begin to burst due to fermentation, the wine is then pressed off immediately to prevent any skin contact from occurring. The result is a very fruity and sometimes floral wine that has light to medium color and body depending on the variety.

We are very excited to taste this wine!
 

Photographs by Curtis Corlew

Time Posted: Dec 21, 2023 at 7:13 AM Permalink to Vineyard Mystery Permalink