Kinkead Ridge Vineyard and Estate Winery Weblog:

Harvest

Vintage Report 2007
An early bud break meant an early harvest; we were finished by mid-October. Sadly, it also meant several days of 80 degree weather, shoots four inches long, and then an Easter freeze which plunged the vineyard to 28 degrees. All the white wine was affected, to a tragic degree. There will be very little Viognier/Roussanne, little Riesling, and it may not even be worth bottling the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Syrah was also heavily affected. The good news is the long dry ripening season was outstanding for Cabernet; small berries, high sugars. These wines will be reminiscent of Calistoga, higher in alcohol than our general practice.
Vintage Report 2006
As this is written (January 2007), I've had the opportunity to both reflect on the vintage past and taste the wines as they have begun to develop. Going into harvest season, the vineyard was in excellent condition. Crop load and canopy management was on target. Weather deteriorated in mid-September and some of the harvest conditions were as difficult as I've ever experienced. October in particular was troublesome as cold temperatures and excessive rainfall limited maturities. Despite the above, white wines are turning out surprisingly well. Red wines, however, are questionable and many may end up as second label when released in 2008. So far we have had a mild winter and I look forward to a spring with little winter damage and overall good growing conditions in 2007.
Vintage Report 2005
2005 in the vineyard was a vintage of extremes. Unlike 2004 where moisture, heat and humidity were well distributed, it seemed like the heat and humidity would never end. Rainfall came either not at all or in a deluge. Fortunately, harvest turned out mostly dry with only the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot caught by rain at the end of October. In the winery, most of the fruit came in low in acid and high in sugar. Adjustments were made and fermentations, though quirky, finished well. Overall, the wines show good promise, and for some, 2005 may prove to be the best vintage yet.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is turning color, a process known as veraison.

How appropriate! We celebrated Ron's 60th birthday at a benefit for the Cincinnati Nutrition Council in the former home of Nicholas Longworth who established grape culture as a successful venture on the hills adjoining the city of Cincinnati in the 1800s. So successful was he that he has been called the Father of American Grape Culture. This federalist mansion is located in downtown Cincinnati.

A PBS producer and videographer filmed at Kinkead Ridge for 5 hours on July 27. The show is a nationally syndicated broadcast called "America's Heartland." When we know the details of the broadcast, we will post them to our web site.

It's leaf pulling time! Here's the latest Kinkead Ridge mini-movie, showing Meg pulling leaves from the east side of the vines. This opens up the fruit to air and sun. It is a very time-consuming viticultural process, but it substantially improves the quality of the grapes. All Kinkead Ridge mini-movies are on youtube.com, as is the main movie "A Vineyard Year".

Your friendly web mistress,
Nancy Bentley
Owner/Managing Partner
Kinkead Ridge.

Kinkead Ridge Vineyard and Estate Winery Weblog

The day to day joys and trials of a small ultra-premium all vinifera vineyard and estate winery in historic Ripley, Ohio. The owners formerly owned Chehalem Valley Vineyards in Yamhill, Oregon. Looking for a new challenge, they sold that 40-acre Pinot Noir vineyard to Tony Soter in 1997.

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You decide: Does Ron have something in common with Johnny Depp

State of the Estate, July 29, 2007