LENNDEVOURS' First Real Harvest

With most all of Long Island's white wine grapes in and the reds coming in as well, it's time for the first-ever LENNDEVOURS Cabernet Franc to get plucked from the vine, stomped with these size-12 feet and then fermented.

That's right folks, this weekend, I'll be heading out to Peconic to pick my adopted row of cabernet franc at Raphael. Raphael's winemaker -- and LENNDEVOURS contributor -- Richard Olsen-Harbich just emailed me and said that it's time.

Anyone want to come help?

Comments

[WaterintoWino]

DId he tell you the sugar brix level and all that good stuff? How does the '06 crop look compared to others? I'm totally jealous!

[Lenn]

He was running out...so I don't know what brix is but I hope to find out tomorrow :)

Everyone says that 2006 is a very unique year. It was cool overall, but with a short-but-really-hot period in July and then sporadic rains...but the overall quality seems like it's going to be good, even if yields are going to be down (significantly in some cases).

[Ryan]

Amazing over here in Spain we have some wines ready to go into barrel! I feel silly asking but is the East coast harvest always this late in the year?

[Bill]

Rain Friday night and Sat...

Karilyn and I have been trying to get out there for pumpkins, looks like Sunday could be our day. If that coincides with your harvest maybe we'll drop in.

[Ben]

In answer to Ryan's question; yes, the red grape harvest is always this late on LI but about two weeks earlier in much of the rest of the East (Virginia first, SE Penn and New Jersey next, with Connecticutt and Massachusetts[depending in how close to the coast they are] at about the same time as the Island)
The typical LI harvest of Merlot usually begins with some early lots around the 18th and the bulk of the picking done beginning around the 25th. Usually Cab Franc is a week to ten days after that, with Cab Sauv and Petit Verdot often being picked as late as the 15th of November!