Contributed by Dan Wolfe, Associate Winemaker.

The season this year started out very cool and wet throughout the month of June. The weather finally broke in July, when things started drying up and the sun came out. This preferred weather for the vineyards continued into August, further assisting the crop. As I continue to walk vineyards and test grapes for sugar, it’s exciting to see the grapes that survived the last two harsh winters are now half way through veraison (the ripening of the grapes). We are now just a few short weeks away from the beginning of harvest- local grapes and juices are coming!

This week the California Central Valley juice pails will be arriving for our customers who pre-ordered them. This is a great way to get the juice you want that won’t be available this year from the local vineyards. Still interested but missed the pre-order? Call us at 814-725-1314 to inquire about any extra availability we may have. We will continue to have select California varieties available throughout the season- more information here.

Be sure to pre-order all your desired grapes, juices, and young wine now to reserve your desired grape varieties and quantities, as certain varieties may be in limited quantities because of the past two harsh winters (but we have worked hard to find acceptable alternatives to those local varieties that are not available!).

See a list of all available varieties and estimated order by and pick up dates.

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.