This was a pretty good year for organic grapes in my vineyard. We didn’t get a late frost and we had dry weather early in the season, which goes a long way toward ensuring there will be a good crop. That means I have enough grapes to make a significant amount of wine this season. In this video, I take you through the harvest, the fermentation, and the pressing of the grapes.
Local alcohol is something that isn’t necessarily on the radar in the local foods movement. Alcohol production normally requires huge expenditures of fossil fuel and water and beer, wine, and spirits and the ingredients that go into them are transported across the world to give you the drink you buy at your local pub. I make my own wine from organic grapes I grow on my land using minimal fossil fuel and water in the process. There is no transportation cost or footprint, and though it might not compare to many of the wines from California and France, it’s far more sustainable, and–I’m still learning. You can follow the process in future videos as we keep tabs on this vintage.