The pruning job in the vineyard was much larger than the last few years. Most of the vines had large dead trunks that needed to be pruned out. We had a good crew of youths, click here for images...
Fortunately, last year the vines grew many replacement shoots that are now tied up to the wires and will have a normal crop on them. The picture at the top shows Cayuga vines with nice shoots and flower cluster on them. The image at the right shows a closer view of the un-opened flower clusters.
They are very close to bloom, some varieties are already in bloom. Click here for more bloom images - closeups....
New Section!
(each newsletter will focus on a different variety)
Varietal Focus on "Cayuga White"
The Cayuga White Grape makes a soft, light fruity, crisp semi-dry (or dry) wine that is extremely palatable to most white wine connoisseurs. Often subtle flavors of apricot, melons, or peach can embody the wine.
Reminiscent of "traditional", more well-know wines such as the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or a "light" White Riesling, Cayuga White makes a very nicely balanced, pleasant white table wine. It can be served with appetizers, or with any main course that you would serve a light-white wine with.
Originally developed in Geneva, New York in the late 1950's early 1960's, Cayuga White was first grown commercially in Upstate, NY in the early 1970's. An examination of the grape's heredity yields a complex ancestry; engineered to withstand the cold climates (down to -20 degrees F), yet artistically developed for its mellow, fruity taste.
The Cayuga White grape is a cross between the Seyval Grape (also known as the Seyve-Villard) and the Schuylar grape. The Schuyler grape is a cross between the Zinfandel and Ontario Grape. As we all know, the Zinfandel grape is a "popular" red wine grape from the California Region. While, the Ontario grape is a cross between the Winchell and Moore's Diamond grape.
