Welcome to the second edition of "Vine Talk" by owner and second generation grape grower, Phil Davis.
Today we bring you insight on growing Pinot Noir in the Finger Lakes. You can taste the fruits of our labor when you purchase our 2019 Pinot Noir.
If there is anything you're curious about, please let us know and we may include it in a future edition: info@damianiwinecellars.com
VINE TALK
PINOT NOIR
Pinot Noir was one of the first varietals I chose to plant in the first year of transitioning my farm from a French hybrid vineyard. It also happened to be the first barrel of wine that Lou and I made prior to the transition. Tasting that first vintage, I believe that was 1997, piqued my taste buds enough to take on the challenge of growing Pinot Noir in the Finger Lakes.
I planted the first acre in 1998, a 3 clone mix of Dijon heritage, 114, 667, 777, the “upper block”. In 2000 I planted the “lower block” with another Dijon clone, 115, a most delicate, most challenging clone that yields an earthy suppleness to the wine I find so appealing.
Growing Pinot in a cool, unusually high humidity climate like the Finger Lakes can be a daunting task. Their thin skin and tight cluster configuration makes them particularly susceptible to invasives such as powdery mildew and botrytis rot.
There are several techniques I employ to encourage disease resistance. First and foremost is the technique of shoot thinning that happens in early June. At that point, the new shoots are 12”-16” and very tender so removal is merely a matter of a slight flick at the base. There are two basic criteria for the selection, vigor and location. If a shoot is located within a hands width of another, one of them is removed. If a shoot is lacking in vigor but located properly in spacing, it remains but fruit is removed. The end result of this process is a less dense canopy and consequently the air flow through the canopy is increased and direct sunlight to the remaining leaves and fruits is enhanced. This helps to accelerate the drying of foliage and fruit, decreasing the moisture that mildew thrives on. Every shoot removed also eliminates two clusters of grapes…but the quality increases.
The other physical manipulations that are critical in the growth cycle is “shoot tucking”, the placement of new growth between catch wires on the trellis for an orderly vertical orientation and separation from each other. After the “tucking” takes place I travel the rows and employ a machine to remove all leaves in the fruit zone, followed by a hand pass to insure that all leaves up to and across from the top most cluster on a shoot have been removed. This process also enhances air flow and sunlight exposure. Rapid drying is again the goal as well as the toughening of the skins of the developing berries via the “tanning” process of sun exposure.
Pinot Noir as a wine is such a delicate and expressive wine when grown properly that all of the effort becomes obsessive to the farmer in me. As I age I envision my “retirement” to include the tending of these 2.2 acres of Pinot adjacent to my home and not the other acreage currently under my management. Let others care for that…
- Phil Davis
