2019 Wines - Chapter 5 - Vidal

There was a time last year when I thought this grape was gone - kaput - finito. At a time last year when all of my other vines had broken bud, the two rows of Vidal were a wasteland. Somehow fortunately 20 of these vines came back. We replanted the remainder this spring, and we allowed a small crop on the most vigorous of the 3 year old vines.

We took 117# on August 31st, again, trying to stay ahead of the critters. I had netted the Vidal in small little sections and one section had already been picked clean. The grapes came it at 2.92, TA 11, SG 1.078.

The additions:

• 784g sugar to 1.090
• 33g calcium carbonate (double salt method) to TA of 8.5
• 15g Opti White
• 6g Booster Blanc
• 3T pectic

After cold settling for a day and racking, added 1t tannin, 5g QA 23 with usual protocol. 10g bentonite went in on day 3, and by September 7 it was 1.020 and racked off to carboy.

If this wine is killer good, we'll bottle it straight up. If less than killer good, maybe we'll do some sort of blend with 10% Traminette, the rest Vidal/Chardonel.