150 workers picking by hand, day and night to pick grapes at optimum ripeness. That's what we do at Shannon Ridge for our wines when Clay calls the pick.
What does all this mean?
As sugars develop in the grapes there is a time to get started picking and there is the time that some buyers of grapes want you to pick. Most buyers are concerned with time so they opt for a "Quick pick" by utilizing mechanical harvesters to get the grapes into their wineries as soon as possible. This method is good and less costly than hand picking. On the downside, you don't have trained eyes looking for the clusters that are at prime ripeness and therefore some "Green" grapes will almost always be present in mechanically harvested grapes.
Example: Buyer "A" wants 20 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon at 24 degrees brix (Brix: A measurement of sugar content in grapes, indicating their degree of ripeness. Vineyard managers and winemakers look for a certain level of Brix before harvesting. The textbook conversion rate for brix to alcohol is .56. For example, if grapes were picked at 24 degrees brix the finished alcohol would be 13.4%.). While this sounds good, it is what the contract buyer wants and eventually they can manipulate the wines in the lab to create a style they are looking for. What a great grower making his own wines (eg: Clay Shannon) will do is call the pick at the optimum sugar level in order to showcase what his vineyards are capable of producing. THIS IS WHAT CLAY DOES. And does it very well. This in itself sets Shannon Ridge apart from many competitors. That's why the wines are so good and will continue to be so.
Harvest is in full swing at Shannon Ridge for our Red Grapes. Crews are working non-stop to insure all grapes are picked at optimum sugar levels. Clay is in the vineyards calling the vineyards blocks to be picked. All Red Grapes at Shannon Ridge are "Hand Harvested" for insuring the best quality grapes to produce our wines.
In the words of John Girty, VP of Sales and Marketing "Clay is "The Man""...I tend to agree.
Mr. "The Man", please keep up the great work and we will tirelessly continue to make sure every human being on the planet hears about Shannon Ridge.
Chris
Keeping the "Buzz" alive
What does all this mean?
As sugars develop in the grapes there is a time to get started picking and there is the time that some buyers of grapes want you to pick. Most buyers are concerned with time so they opt for a "Quick pick" by utilizing mechanical harvesters to get the grapes into their wineries as soon as possible. This method is good and less costly than hand picking. On the downside, you don't have trained eyes looking for the clusters that are at prime ripeness and therefore some "Green" grapes will almost always be present in mechanically harvested grapes.
Example: Buyer "A" wants 20 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon at 24 degrees brix (Brix: A measurement of sugar content in grapes, indicating their degree of ripeness. Vineyard managers and winemakers look for a certain level of Brix before harvesting. The textbook conversion rate for brix to alcohol is .56. For example, if grapes were picked at 24 degrees brix the finished alcohol would be 13.4%.). While this sounds good, it is what the contract buyer wants and eventually they can manipulate the wines in the lab to create a style they are looking for. What a great grower making his own wines (eg: Clay Shannon) will do is call the pick at the optimum sugar level in order to showcase what his vineyards are capable of producing. THIS IS WHAT CLAY DOES. And does it very well. This in itself sets Shannon Ridge apart from many competitors. That's why the wines are so good and will continue to be so.
Harvest is in full swing at Shannon Ridge for our Red Grapes. Crews are working non-stop to insure all grapes are picked at optimum sugar levels. Clay is in the vineyards calling the vineyards blocks to be picked. All Red Grapes at Shannon Ridge are "Hand Harvested" for insuring the best quality grapes to produce our wines.
In the words of John Girty, VP of Sales and Marketing "Clay is "The Man""...I tend to agree.
Mr. "The Man", please keep up the great work and we will tirelessly continue to make sure every human being on the planet hears about Shannon Ridge.
Chris
Keeping the "Buzz" alive
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