Contributed by Dan Wolfe, Associate Winemaker.

Today I spoke with Mike Moorehead, and also visited our vineyards in the area to get an idea as to how our grapes are coming . This week, Concord grapes are receiving the final spray before harvest (our early Concord juice should be available for pickup Sept 19th to 29th: pre-order now).

The crops in the Finger Lakes have already started seeing veraison, or the onset of ripening and the change of color of the grape berries.  We should start noticing it in our local vineyards this week.

Our local growers are also spraying for the third flight of the Berry Moth, which could potentially be the most destructive pest to the grapes. The wine grapes are getting their final tie ups this week. We are also seeing growers hedging the vines to allow sunlight to come in, and reduce stress on the vines and wires. Harvest is approaching! Are you as excited as us?

Dan Wolfe joined PIWC in 2011 and is our Associate Winemaker. Dan started making wines from Wine kits in 2007 and the hobby quickly became an obsession. His habit then escalated to buying Fresh Grape Juice at harvest time, and he started experimenting with blending different wines. Dan has entered his wines in many local and out of town competitions, bringing home Gold medals and best of show in places like California. He is a member of the American Wine Society and judges wine competitions locally and around the state.