TW001 Chillin' On A Crate of Chardonnay
Traveling Writers often appear out on a limb or on a ledge! You know the maxim: "If you're not living on the edge you're taking up space!"
TW001 got involved in the Harrison Hope Wine Estate 2012 chardonnay crush today! Even though the harvest was nearly wiped out completely by a fine African hail storm in December a few grapes made it to maturity. Harrison Hope figures the bottles may be scarce but the chardonnay could be their finest. Check them out at www.harrisonhope.com. Such are the destinations of Traveling Writers.
TW001 was not much use clipping the clusters from the vines but once the crate weights had to be recorded the TW took the lead. The grapes will be chilled overnight down to 6C and then crushed, destemmed, pressed, and allowed to settle for 12 hours tomorrow before barrel fermentation begins on the HH 2012 Chardonnay. The track of descending sugar readings and ascending temperature readings will all be recorded by TW001 over the next few days. A good, cool, slow fermentation is the desired result but around the rough and untested terroir of Harrison Hope some fermentations have been known to charge off like runaway locomotives. Once the chardonnay is sorted the pinotage follows next week and then the merlot. A Traveling Writer has to be alert in the cellar but thrives on watching the miracle take place in the barrels and open fermentation tanks.
If you are in the neighborhood of TW001 (Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, South Africa) then drop in for a tasting or a tour or some dueling pens. Chat later once the cellar work is done.
TW001
South Africa
TW001 got involved in the Harrison Hope Wine Estate 2012 chardonnay crush today! Even though the harvest was nearly wiped out completely by a fine African hail storm in December a few grapes made it to maturity. Harrison Hope figures the bottles may be scarce but the chardonnay could be their finest. Check them out at www.harrisonhope.com. Such are the destinations of Traveling Writers.
TW001 was not much use clipping the clusters from the vines but once the crate weights had to be recorded the TW took the lead. The grapes will be chilled overnight down to 6C and then crushed, destemmed, pressed, and allowed to settle for 12 hours tomorrow before barrel fermentation begins on the HH 2012 Chardonnay. The track of descending sugar readings and ascending temperature readings will all be recorded by TW001 over the next few days. A good, cool, slow fermentation is the desired result but around the rough and untested terroir of Harrison Hope some fermentations have been known to charge off like runaway locomotives. Once the chardonnay is sorted the pinotage follows next week and then the merlot. A Traveling Writer has to be alert in the cellar but thrives on watching the miracle take place in the barrels and open fermentation tanks.
If you are in the neighborhood of TW001 (Whittlesea, Eastern Cape, South Africa) then drop in for a tasting or a tour or some dueling pens. Chat later once the cellar work is done.
TW001
South Africa
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