Harvest Season Begins in September!

While many of us ran from the hot summer sun and dove into just about anything that would keep us cool, the grapes of the Grand River Valley region were joyously soaking up the sun and loving the hot, hot weather -- the perfect recipe for the making of an award-winning wine.

Ferrante Winery enjoyed this summer sun and humidity immensely. Winemaker Nick Ferrante continuously noted that the grapes were thriving.  When extremely hot and humid conditions are rationed properly by Mother Nature it creates one of the best environments for growing certain varietals of grapes.

Our soil “terrior” at Ferrante Winery contains a lot of clay, which in turn holds a great amount of moisture. With such warm temperatures the moisture in the air can be trapped in the soil, therefore aiding in the maturity of the grapes.
 

Since 2005 our vineyards have not experienced over 7 days of 90 degree Fahrenheit temperatures or above, unlike recently. Typically, grapes need about 150-170 days with temperatures that exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit in order to grow, flower and set fruit. With higher temperatures the fruit is maturing faster and with enhanced sugar content (brix) found in the grapes. This rapid maturity and higher sugar content will aid in the finished product of wine. The flavors and body of the wine will be more prominent than if there were fewer amounts of sugar.

Due to the heat wave Ferrante Winery is ahead of schedule and we plan to harvest earlier this year than in years past. We are hoping that the excessive levels of heat will produce the perfect batch of Vino!!!