Vineyard august 2002 newsletter

We were away from the farm for a week during July and when we returned it was time to do some major weed mowing. We also continued the operation of tieing vines up & using soap bars to limit deer damage. The grapes are increasing dramatically in size and will be ready for harvest next month.

We are now preparing for the fall harvest. Signs need to be repaired, our small sales building needs to be cleaned & some minor painting, and many other last minute preparations.

The continuous story of Cayuga Row 34 and how it behaves during this growing season.

Meet Cayuga Row 34 (or really the first vine in this row). This will be one of the vines that we will focus on this year, taking pictures of it all during the growing season. You will see it shortly after it is pruned (around Easter), when the buds are swelling and bursting in May, when it blooms in June, when the berries dramatically increase in size in July, when the berries color (although Cayuga is a white grape) in August, and you may be the one to harvest it in September!

Cayuga vine in mid-June

Same vine in late June

Vine is exploding in growth!

The grapes are now in bloom.
See the very tiny white petals.

Click on the tiny grape below for a
series of bloom pictures..

In late July this Cayuga vine and it's berry clusters are almost full size.

Click here for the rest of the story and to go to our more
in-depth study of 3 growing vines,
a Cayuga, Delaware & a DeChaunac

August Grape Recipe - Whitefish with Lemon Caper Wine Sauce
- Serves 4
(Recipe is re-printed with permission from St. Julian's Website)

.25 cup flour
2 T olive oil
.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp pepper
4 6-ounce whitefish fillets

Sauce
.5 cup St. Julian Simply White Wine
.25 cup drained capers
3 T butter
.25 cup lemon juice
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T chopped fresh thyme

Pour flour, salt and pepper on plate. Coat the fish on both sides with mixture. Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add fish and cook on both sides until lightly browned. Transfer fish to a platter and cover with foil.

In a small skillet put the wine, capers, butter, lemon juice, parsley and thyme. Cook on medium heat until liquid is reduced by half, around 4 minutes. Spoon this sauce over fish and serve.