End of the Year

It has been another incredible year at Grace Hill Winery. From pruning through harvest, at events under the tent, and all times in between we have been both challenged and blessed. But each year we are a little more confident that we really can make amazing wine here in Kansas.

Spring started out well for us and we seem to be doing better each year at pruning the plants to bring out their best potential. There were no late frosts, and the plants came through remarkably well. As they set fruit in the summer we were really encouraged. August brought extreme hot weather which reduced our yields, especially of the seyval which ripens first. However, the vines rebounded nicely once the heat broke, and the red grapes came in well.

Harvest was once again a great time, with lots of people coming out to help, including a lot of new ones. We made some really good new friends this year. We meet such interesting people here, which is one of the best parts.

We got a tent in May, which we used for the first time at our Spring Release Party. The party was great, and the tent was used all during summer and fall for a variety of events. The vineyard is such a good setting that some days it was hard to get people to leave!

We also had a great turnout for the fall release party, and were really proud of the quality of wine we released then. Our Cab Franc is better than we thought we would be able to make, and we go through a lot of it! It is going to be served with the main course at the Kansas Grapegrowers and Winemakers banquet next month, which makes us really proud.

I think the best news for us this year, though, was that when we tried some of the wines we made in 2006-2008, they were even better than when we first tried them. We were a little apprehensive trying the 2006 chardonel, from our last year of home winemaking, but it was surprisingly rich and complex. I just wish we had saved more. We thought the same about our old Barrel Reserve Red and Norton. So if you have some of those around, there is no hurry to drink them yet. They actually do improve with age!

So have a happy new year, and we look forward to seeing you back at the winery. We have some big plans for 2011, and I promise to blog more often to keep all our friends in the loop!

Grace Hill Harvest Update

HARVEST 2010 The first step towards the Grace Hill Winery 2010 vintage was taken on August 7th as harvest began. The abundance of hot sunny weather during July and early August caused the grapes to ripen quicker than ever before, leading us to pick during the first week of August. That first week we brought in our Vignoles and some of our Seyval, after which we had a barbeque lunch under the tent. The Vignoles and Seyval were the ripest of each grape we've ever had, which we hope will make them into excellent wines. We continued harvest the next weekend, this time picking our Chardonel as well as the rest of the Seyval. We were extremely pleased with the how the Chardonel turned out and have high hopes for it as it makes the journey from vineyard to bottle to dinner table. As is customary with white grapes, the freshly picked grapes were brought to the winery, where they were crushed, pressed (though not with our feet), and pumped into tanks to begin fermentation. The next Saturday, August 21st, we harvested the first of our 2010 red grapes as we picked our some of our Chambourcin and all of our Noiret (one row). We had another great crew of pickers on hand, causing the picking to be done very quickly. Since lunch wasn't quite ready when the picking was done, we decided a morning barrel tasting was in order! We went down into the cellar and tried wine from three different barrels, two of which we bottled the following Monday. We crushed the red grapes on Saturday as well, but left them in their bins for a few days before they were pressed. This is different from white grapes, which we press the same day they're picked, as the time a red grape spends on the skins allows it to achieve that deep purple color. If we pressed them the same day, all our reds would be pink! On August 28th we had our biggest harvest of the season, bringing in almost two and a half tons of grapes! We picked our Traminette, the last of this year's white grapes, as well as the rest of our Chambourcin. When the picking was finished we had lunch under the tent catered byBlue Collar Barbecue who came out and cooked it all up on site. Delicious! Most of all we want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped out, as we could not do it without you! We only have a few harvests left, with only our Norton and Cabernet Franc still left on the vine, but we do still have some open spots for the coming weeks, so if you haven't joined in on the fun yet or would like to come out again, send us an email at info@gracehillwinery.com and we'd be happy to have you. Upcoming Events... Due to the great response and fun we had at our Spring Release Party in May, we have decided to continue the tradition with a Fall Release Party! On Friday October 8th from 5-8, we will be debuting four of what we think are our best wines yet, our 2009 Barrel Reserve White, 2009 Red Barrel Reserve, 2009 Cab Franc, and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. We are very excited about this group of wines and hope that you will join us in the celebration of all our hard work! If you are looking for some Grace Hill Wine but can't make it out to Whitewater, we do have a limited selection in Wichita, Newton, Andover and Derby at these fine retailers: New additions - R&J Liquor at Douglas and Hillside Oldies But Goodies - ABC Liquor at Central and Woodlawn, 21st and Woodlawn, and 21st and Tyler, - Jacobs Liquor Exchange East and West - Groves Liquor at Kellogg and Webb. - Beyond Napa in Old Town Square - Newton Discount Liquor on Washington Street - Hills Retail Liquor at 1st and Meridian in Newton - Auburn Spirits at Maple and 135th - Rolling Hills Wine and Spirits at Maple and Maize - Flint Hills Wine and Spirits at Kellogg and Andover Road - K&S Liquors at Rock and Madison in Derby

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Grace Hill Winery Breaking News!
Harvest Update August 2, 2010 Greetings! We went out into the vineyard this afternoon to check the progress of the grapes. We knew they were coming along quickly, but didn't know how quickly. Long story short, rather than August 14th, harvest will start in earnest on August 7th. Dave says we need a good crew, so we are recruiting volunteers. Read on for details, and if you can come, great! We will start at 8, pick through the morning, and then provide lunch with wine. See you there! Sincerely, Jeff Sollo
Grapes and when to pick them Grapes ripen on the vine this time of year at different rates, depending on the variety and the weather. As we go into the vineyard to assess their maturity, we look at color, pH, acidity, sugar content and most importantly, taste. Picking them at the optimal time allows for the best balance of flavor, sweetness and acidity. Right now everything is coming together just as we had hoped. Of course, there are lots of other factors that come into play. First is the weather, which can speed or slow things, or even potentially ruin them. We don't want that! The next is pressure from various pests, such as bugs, birds, deer and turkeys. Then finally, there is still the risk of disease. If the weather is too humid, all sorts of rot can occur. Right now we have the propane cannon to scare the birds, and we are putting on nets as fast as we can. We aren't the only ones who know how good those grapes are. And right now, they are really good! So if you can come out for harvest this Saturday, August 7th, (or any other Saturday in August or September) send us an email at info@gracehillwinery.com.

July means harvest is coming soon!

June disappeared without me knowing it, and July is half gone too. What's with that? Did I blink?

Wherever I go people ask me about the grapes. So here is the status update, in case you're curious. The grapes are rapidly growing and maturing. We have received a ton (ok, many inches) of rain in the past few days, way more than we really needed, but the grapes continue to do well. They show no sign of rot, which is really good news since it has been so wet and humid. The berries seem bigger every day, though they are still quite small and sour. A guest tried one Saturday and pronounced it"like a crabapple". But it's early yet...

Even so, knowing that harvest usually starts in early August, we have less than a month to go. It's always exciting. And we have a few grapes, mostly noiret, that are already starting to turn color. Veraison is the proper term, and it is always an exciting time in the vineyard.

Harvest is even more exciting, and we will be calling for harvest volunteers in the next few weeks. We send out a list of dates in our newsletter, and will post it on Facebook as well. We ask that people interested in helping email us to reserve a spot. We harvest on Saturday mornings in August and September, offering our volunteer crew a true agricultural experience, followed by lunch with wine. And of course, discounts in our tasting room come with the work. We really do have a good time, and it is appropriate for all ages. We have literally had volunteers from ages 8-80 in years past.

Our other big news is about Georgia. She is a miniature bulldog puppy that Jeff adopted in the last month or so. She absolutely darling, a solid bundle of joy! Our family dog for many years was a bulldog named Chloe, and she was an amazing animal. Her portrait graces the label of Chloe's Cuvee. Georgia isn't related but she looks like she could be. She is often out at the vineyard, so come by and see her (if you're a dog person).

In the meantime, stay cool!

Blooms in the Vineyard

This is bloom season in the vineyard, where all the grapes-to-be are clusters of flowers. They aren't showy- you could never tell from the road what was happening. But up close it looks really wonderful, full of promise of a great harvest. You can even catch the fragrance, which is pretty unusual for grapes. The vineyard is really at its best this time of year, with everything lush and green. And our canopy management has never been better- just look at those well-trained vines!

May has been a very busy but very fun month at Grace Hill Winery. We started off with the release party. No, actually, we started with putting up the tent. It went up surprisingly well, and worked great! It even came down easily at the right time, which was a relief. The tent really added something to the night of the release party, since it was a little breezy. It gave the sensation of being protected while right in the middle of the vineyard- just what we were hoping for. We can't wait to use it again! And we had a great group of people out for the party, where the V was a big hit, as was the Prairie Pink.

Then we had the Rotary Ann group out for a tour and tasting. They seemed to really enjoy it, and the vineyard was once again gorgeous.

That Sunday night we had our wine dinner at Reba's restaurant. The food was excellent, and we continue to learn more about the things that pair well with our wines. For example, the appetizer was a ricotta toast with truffle oil, which went really well with the Seyval. I wouldn't have guessed that would have worked like it did. And we were concerned that the mint in the lamb sauce would fight with the Barrel 10 Chambourcin, but actually it worked great! We were fairly certain the strawberry cake would pair well with the Prairie Pink, and we were right.

And then our next big milestone, not a winery but a family thing, was Brian's graduation from Grinnell College. We are very proud of him. (Don't ask us what he's going to do next, because he hasn't said yet.) Shannon has been great at covering the winery while we have been gone.

So now we will be nurturing the vines to get them ready for harvest this August and September. There are lots of other fun things coming up, like the opportunity for people to blend their own wines, and then harvest. And we need to do some bottling to clear out space in the tanks and barrels for the 2010 vintage. There is always something to do at Grace Hill Winery!

Spicy Artichoke Dip Recipe

The Spicy Artichoke Dip was a big hit at the Grace Hill Winery Spring Release Party, so courtesy of the Women Of Great Taste cookbook compiled by The Junior League of Wichita, here is the recipe:

Spicy Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Puree all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Spread mixture in a shallow 9 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered until lightly browned on top, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with lavosh crackers or tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Spring has Sprung!

Wow! April is almost over, and I'm not sure where it went.

The vineyard woke up and looks great! This was one of the prettiest springs we have ever seen here, with all the trees blooming at once. The scent of the lilacs was intoxicating, just going out to get the mail. The vines wake up slower, and some of them are just now beginning to look green. But as they come out, they show us the potential of this year's crop, which is always exciting.

The vines survived the winter very well. We were concerned about the cold snap in early January, since it got much colder for much longer than is typical around here. But the vines look like it never happened, which is a real relief. I always think there isn't much to do in the vineyard this time of year, but of course, there are always things to do. Right now we are making sure the plants are trained appropriately, and we are thinning out shoots to manage the crop load.

We are trying out a new type of net this year, for bird protection. It is also supposed to help to train the vines, which is why we were out applying it recently. We knew it wouldn't work as well to try to put it up in a stiff wind, but did anyway. This is south central Kansas, and you never know if a calm day is actually going to happen. Actually, the second day they put it up was calm, and they said it was a lot easier!

Dave got a new (used) cooling unit for the cellar this week. He brought it back in our trailer, which worked fine. When he told me he planned to get it down into the cellar by strapping a pallet to the top and lowering it down into the pit with the forklift, I was a little skeptical. But it worked like a charm, and still works like a charm. Dave and a forklift-what a combination!

Last week we poured our wines at the Old Town Walkabout. It was a wonderful time, raising money for the Guadalupe Clinic, which is a very worthy cause. We had a great volunteer team out to help, and they were extra special because they are all great supporters of the winery, and have been an integral part of our success. Thank you all!

We tasted V, our Vignoles, this week. We will be releasing it at the spring release party next week. It is really good! A dry white wine, with a great aroma and wonderful flavors, it's my current favorite. The Spring Release Party is Friday, May 7th at the winery from 5-8. Come on by if you're available!

Spring pruning

Pruning is in full swing now, since it is technically spring. The vineyard is still dormant, though sap is starting to flow. We are hoping not to see bud break for a little longer, since this year has been so cold. You can see from the before and after photos that pruning really controls the vines and gets them in shape for the new seasons growth. The quality of the fruit is dependent on the job we do now, so Dave is very particular about how it's done. However, the vineyard is large enough that he needs to accept help from some of the rest of us! (19 rows to go.)

It still doesn't look like spring around the vineyard yet. I had to bring forsythia branches in to force them, to get some sense of spring. But at least the buds were in there!

Jeff got the opportunity to talk about our wines at a tasting at a bed and breakfast near Haven last weekend. He introduced them to Prairie Pink, which isn't officially released yet, and it was a big hit. We are really excited about it, and look forward to having it out sometime in April.

Having hosted big planting parties in April for the last several years, it seems odd not to be planning one this year. But we are done putting in new vines, at least for now. We will be replacing a few that have died, but mostly we will be tending the ones we already have.

We are looking forward to some fun events in April. We will be pouring our wines at the Old Town Walkabout as part of the Midwest Winefest April 22nd. Look for us at CityArts. (Tickets are on sale now, and they sell out quickly.) Then Jeff will be pouring our wines at Main Street Emporia's event on April 24th.

We found out last month that we had received a matching grant from the state for an event tent, which we are looking forward to using at the vineyard. If you have ideas for us, let us know. The tent is on order, and we are excited about it.

Last but not least, Dave had a letter to the editor published in the Wine Spectator this week. (April 30th issue.) It may be the only way we get into the Wine Spectator, for now, but we'll take it!

You can't get out and prune when the vines are covered with ice. And even though the storm was last weekend, the ice was still glistening when the sun hit it this morning. I think it finally all melted today, but it is supposed to snow again tomorrow. Will this winter ever end? It's really making me grumpy.

On the other hand, we have been able to get some things done around the winery, since we haven't been able to go outside. We have bottled "V", our 2009 Vignoles, as well as "Prairie Pink", our 2009 version of rose'. They will be ready for release sometime in the spring, and are both promising to be really special. We have also bottled the 2009 Norton, but it won't be ready for release for awhile. My parents came out to help with bottling. They are really getting experienced, and are a huge help!

We have been giving away chocolates with our logo on them during February, as a free gift with purchase. We have one last weekend for that promotion, which has been a lot of fun. Dave is hoping we sell a lot of wine, but if there is chocolate left, he thinks he gets it. Maybe he will get the red hearts, but I'm keeping the logo chocolates for the tasting room.

Jeff got forklift lessons this week, when he picked up a pallet of side-netting for the vineyard. (It is hard to think about bird protection when everything is frozen, but Dave plans ahead.) He got the hang of driving the forklift quickly, which is good because it drives backward and is completely counterintuitive. His response was similar to Dave's, "That thing is AWESOME!" I just find it scary, so I'm very glad they enjoy it.

Jeff got our first real newsletter sent out last month, and this month's version will be out Friday. It is packed with lots of good information, so if you know of anybody who would be interested in receiving it, have them send us an email. (info@gracehillwinery.com).

More Frozen Fog

We thought we might get to go out and do some vineyard work this week. We did do a little last weekend- not pruning yet as it's still too early. But since then, the weather hasn't been what we wanted. We got about 8 inches of snow here on Thursday and Friday. (We managed to get the Prius stuck, but got it out pretty quickly too.) Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day in the snow, but today the frozen fog was back. It makes for beautiful pictures, but I want the sun!

Dave and Jeff worked in the cellar this week, finalizing some of the blends for the new wines. We're really excited about them, and would be thinking about bottling soon, but we need our road to dry out so we can get the bottles delivered. Cars do ok, but the semis have some issues, especially with turning around. Still, it's exciting to think about the spring releases.

The tasting room is slow, but we do get some business every week, so we're still keeping it open Saturdays. If nothing else, it gives us a lot of time to catch up on the paperwork and cleaning and organizing that we might not get to otherwise. And we are starting to put together more plans for spring. I'm ready!

The annual meeting of the Kansas Grape Growers and Winemakers Association was this past weekend in Emporia, Kansas. The record cold temperatures, snow and wind kept some people (including some of the presenters) away, but we headed out across the tundra to spend some time with the experts and also with good friends and colleagues.

There were sessions on grape growing, wine making and marketing, and I think we picked up some really good information. We took Jeff along for the first time, and he got to meet a lot of people. The instructors didn't intimidate him, and we all had a good time talking to them. (We did notice him playing games on his iphone during some of the sessions. Clearly his parents don't intimidate him either.)

Our Red Barrel Reserve was served with the main course at the banquet, and paired well with the beef tenderloin and crabmeat dish with which it was served. We were proud!

The most amazing development of the weekend in my opinion was when they elected Dave as the Vice President of the organization for the upcoming year. Not that he isn't capable. And he certainly has a lot to offer. But those of us who know Dave know he doesn't do meetings! It's going to be an interesting year!