Took the in laws to Raffaldini’s this weekend. Turns out Raffaldini was unveiling their 2005 Sangiovese. It was very busy. The wine was very enjoyable. I’m not sure whether it was because we were having a great time, enjoying the view and the snacks or whether the wine was actually that good, maybe a little of both – exactly as it should be! Seriously, the wine was well balanced, had some interesting burst of flavor and a nice nose. I bought two bottles along with a bottle of their award winning Vermintino.

The owner, Jay Raffaldini was in town and I got to spend a few minutes with him. He’s an interesting guy. Job in Manhattan, rich family heritage and a love for fine wine. As I’ve said previously, if anyone is going to produce decent wine in North Carolina, consistently, it will be Jay. Everything I rail against, Raffladini doesn’t practice. They have lots of cash or at least enough that they are not afraid to rip out varietals that aren’t working and experiment with others. They bought their land to grow grapes, they didn’t just happen co own a bunch of land and decide to grow grapes on it. They seem to practice sound viticultural and wine making practices and finally, the only knock I have consistently not understood is why slap a trailer on such a nice place and use it as your tasting room?

 I think I finally have an answer that makes sense to me. Patience. Patience is what I didn’t understand. I think Jay has the cash to build whatever he desires. But he’s also a smart business person and my guess is that he wasn’t sure if the whole grape thing would really work out. And my guess is that if he is going to build tasting room, he wants to do it right. Therefore it made far more sense to throw up an inexpensive trailer, build a nice deck to enjoy the view and practice a wait and see approach, rather than investing millions in a tasting room that ultimately might serve up only marginal wines. He just doesn’t seem like the type to want to sell anything that was “marginal”. So, my guess, is that the tasting room will be well done and hopefully very unique. Hopefully it will reflect the beautiful site they have, while also providing an authentic experience…not just another commercial structure. Build something exceptional. That’s my advice. Really put up something that makes Raffaldini even more of a “must visit” than it already is…

And I am going to bury a remark, because even though I think it’s a very important discovery, ultimately, it’s just not that surprising…disappointing, but not surprising. We also visited another local winery on Friday afternoon and we had a nice time. We always do when we are with family! However, the wines threw me off, because they were completely different from the wines that were served when I was there last. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but as I left it hit me, nearly all of the wines had some sort of residual sugar in them! This was not by accident or an attempt to create some sort of dessert wine. This was a decision made by the owners to fortify their wines with sugar in an attempt to appeal to the local tastes for sweet wines. I left that place and felt ill because as a diabetic, I am not accustomed to drinking wines with sugar in them, unless I am drinking a dessert wine. My blood sugar was sky high and normal wine does not have that affect on blood sugar, if anything it drives blood sugar lower. In my mind, this winery sold out. Yes, it’s survival of the fittest. But to deliberately sweeten your wines, to mask the shortcomings of the grapes and the winemaking, well that’s a shame. You’ll start to see more and more of that in the Yadkin Valley. Vinters will start fortifying their wines with sugar, because that’s what North Carolinians want, sweet wine. We also visited Laurel Grey Vineyards, had a nice time on their porch and bought a bottle of their Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend, but only because we wanted to kill some time…the reds were not good and nothing jumped out at us with the whites either.

It’s been a a couple weeks since I consumed this wine – a bottle of the 2002 Cabernet Franc from Windy Gap. My wife and I were at Total Wine in Winston and it caught my eye…I guess because their label seems like it changed. Maybe not. But in the past it seems like Windy gap had a drawing of a bunch of dogs on their bottles…and I’ve never really enjoyed the works of the local artist who drew them. Dogs and wine…whatever, vineyards across the country seem to think it’s a great marketing ploy to tout their dogs on their labels. I just think it’s strange.

Anyways, that’s neither here nor there. It seemed prudent since I enjoyed the ‘01 Cabernet Franc from Windy Gap, that I try the ‘02. Windy Gap ages their wines, that I like. It’s not cost effective for a young winery…but it sure helps the wine. the fac tthat I drank a full bottle of a yadkin valley red wine and didn’t pout most of it down the drain, is one indication that the wine was ok. Outside of the Wolf’s Lair 2001/2002 and some 2003 reds, and the Barbera from Elkin Creek and possible the Red Barn Blend from Grassy Creek, the ‘02 Cabernet Franc is good to very good.

It’s a nice drinkable wine..the nose hasd some characteristics of the varietal, which was great. I don’t think most people, if blind folded, would come away saying “ahh that’s a cab franc”…the ‘01, maybe, everyonce in-a-while in the back of your throat with the ‘01 it would spring out…it was tough, but it could be done. I didn’t get that with the ‘02. I love Cabernet Franc, and it’s known to really be influenced by terroir, so who knows…the ‘02 is still a respectable wine…I’ll have to go through my cellar and retaste the top 10 wines on my list, the ‘02 might warrant a pretty high ranking.

It’s a nice wine for North Carolina, that’s for sure. Would be interesting if a grower would actually choose a location SPECIIFCALLY suited for cabernet franc, and then adhere to some of the winemaking processes utilized by Windy Gap. I think a fine Cabernet Franc is possible in this region, but all the planets would have to align, someone would have to really work at it.

I’d rate the ‘02 Cabernet Franc from Windy Gap a buy.

Overall, I would say that my efforts to reduce the Japanese Beetle population in my vineyard were not successful. July 18th or so brought out I bet at least 50,000 beetles…there were thousands of them everywhere…I threw some sevin on them and now there are dead beetles everywhere.

I had thought that mixing up dead beetles and spraying the bug juice was a good idea, but dead beetles stick really bad, so no thanks to that.

I will continue with more feeders and more purple martin nests next year, and I think I will explore milky spore and further my research into insects that feed on the grubs.

In Japan, where the beetles originated, populations are kept relatively low due to the presence of many natural predators for the beetle. Including a specific type of wasp which has been introduced to North Carolina. It’s a non-aggressive wasp, and relatively small, so maybe I’ll see what it takes to get me a decent sized wasp population established in the vineyard.

after some additional research I found that there is a Ph.D who lives in North Carolina who specializes in helping reduce japanese beetle populations naturally. I’ve emailed him about working together…I’ll let you know his response.

The purpose of this guide sheet is to help persons and agencies interested in sustainably suppressing populations of the Japanese beetle to establish the spring Tiphia and optimize the wasps’ reproductive potential for maximum control through the use of habitat modification by planting known food plants that the wasps favor.

Selecting Areas for Release of Tiphia vernalis
The spring Tiphia wasp needs three factors for a successful release. They are: 1) An area that contains an abundant supply of its host, (which is the 3rd instar Japanese beetle or Oriental beetle [Anomala orientalis Waterhouse]); 2) Adequate food plants to enable the wasp to realize its reproductive potential; and 3) High and low ground to ensure continuance of the grub population in both wet and dry years. Studies by USDA researchers found that percentage of parasitization was greater for more dense grub populations: 57% for 6 grubs per square foot; 31% for 2 grubs per square foot; and less than 20% for one grub per square foot. However, the authors have found that these percentages could be increased by planting or having additional food plants in the areas where beetle grubs consistently occur, such as golf courses, parks and the areas surrounding airports.

The potential release area can be surveyed to determine how many Japanese beetle grubs per square foot are present. By doing some preliminary survey work, you will be able to select an area that has the most grubs, which will give you the best chance for establishment of the spring Tiphia. Grid off the potential area being considered for release. If you have a large area, such as a golf course or a park, you will want to make several sample sites to determine which has the most grubs. Each potential survey area can be gridded into a 30 foot by 30 foot square grid. Each section in the grid is a 10 foot by 10 foot piece, for a total of 9 ten foot square areas. The overall grid pattern looks like a tic-tac-toe drawing. Take one soil sample from each of the nine squares. Each soil sample should be 1 foot square and 6 to 8 inches deep. Count all the grubs in each soil sample. By looking at the raster pattern on the rear of each grub, you can determine if the grub is a Japanese beetle grub. Do this sampling pattern for each area under consideration for release of the Tiphia wasp.

Once you have completed the soil sampling for each area, you will know how many grubs per square foot are present. By selecting an area with the highest number of grubs, you will ensure that the spring Tiphia has every advantage in order to become established in the desired area.

Food Plants for Adult Tiphia vernalis
USDA researchers found that, in the northeastern U.S., adult spring Tiphia wasps feed primarily on the honeydew exuded from aphids, scale insects, and leafhoppers. The adult wasps were found feeding on the shaded foliage of maple, elm, cherry, tulip and pine trees, and some broad-leafed shrubs. The wasp will also feed on the nectar of blossoms, such as forsythia, and on the extra-floral nectaries of peonies. However, as the wasps were later redistributed into other parts of the eastern and southern US, the potential exists for them to utilize other plants for food. Research by the author (RCM) while with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA) found that Tiphia adults used blooming tulip poplar trees, Liriodendron tulipifera as a food and mating site. Researchers in China have used the knowledge of food plants to increase the rates of Tiphia parasitization of white grubs to an average of 85%. Thus, the potential for using food plants to increase the rates of parasitization of the Japanese beetle by the spring Tiphia is great and should be utilized whenever possible.
Food Plants Known to be Utilized by Adult Tiphia vernalis:

€ Tulip Poplar
€ Liriodendron tulipifera
€
€ Choke Cherry
€ Prunus virginiana
€
€ Norway Maple
€ Acer platanoides
€
€ American Elm
€ Ulmus americana
€
€ Forsythia
€ Forsythia x intermedia
€
€ Firethorn
€ Pyracantha coccinea
€
€ Pine trees
€ Pinus spp.

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3. The attraction of Tiphia vernalis to peonies is very specific: “We screened dozens of other kinds of spring-blooming flowers and most of them did not attract appreciable numbers of Tiphia.” The Tiphia are attracted to “honeydew” produced by aphids and scale insects (that live on foliage of many types of plants), but not to flowers other than peonies.

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For example “certain protozoa (e.g. Ovavesicula species) .. cause a debilitating disease” of female Japanese Beetles

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http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/fea508.html

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Entomopathogenic nematodes in the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae have been found naturally parasitizing JB larvae. Species in these two families have been commercialized for control of a number of cryptic and soil-inhabiting insects. Several strains of Heterorhabditis species and Steinernema glaseri have been effective against JB larvae in field trials and are available to home owners and turf managers. These organisms are living biological agents and require precautions to maintain their viability throughout the procurement and application process. Additional research and extension efforts are needed to make these nematodes most effective in beetle suppression programs.

Sunday is always a good day to kick back and write some notes in the blog! Once again, the summer has proved challenging for Villa Kleinheksel. My 3rd year vines are comprised of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. When I first planted the grapes, I was anxious, boy was I anxious. As suck, it seemed to make the most sense for me to push up two shoots up to the wire and establish a dual trunk system.

This might have worked well had I enough knowledge to take each growing shoot and loop them around the bamboo pole and the other shoot, and also as the shoot continue to grow it would have been smart to loop the shoot (soon to be cordon) around the fruiting wire.

When shoots are young, they are tender and with care, can be easily bent and twirled. Then when the shoots harden, the trunk (via the looping of the intiial shoots) is well secured to the bamboo pole.

Anyways, I didn’t do all of that..I just ran the shoots straight up and secured with ties or twine, same thing with the initial cordons. That has proved to be stupid. Because the trunks and the cordons hardened straight, the whole plant doesn’t have a real nice attachment to the trellising system. It makes for a pain when leaf pulling and with the weight of the fruit, many times the cordon will droop. STUPID!

Additionally, my thought process was that by establishing a dual trunk system and getting both sides of the cordon established, I would get fruit in my second year. I was overly anxious to get that plant to grow..it’s just the way I am. But it cost me a lot of additional work and even more work now as I have began taking the canes from the renewal spurs, cutting off the second trunk and looping the cane around the fruiting wires. That doesn’t fix the trunk problem, but in some instanaces, if I notice a strong sucker growing I work it up to wire, and before it hardens cut off the remaining two trunks, and loop the new trunk around the bamboo and up to the fruting wire.

If I was a commercial vineyard, my mistakes would be very costly, both in terms of time spent in the vineyard and also lost harvests. But I’m not, so while discouraging to see effects of decisions that were made two years ago, it’s still great to learn by doing.

For the vines that were planted last year, I made some poor pruning decisions this spring. I should have pruned back to one, maybe two buds. Instead I left 3 or 4. What resulted is that the plants put a lot of energy into 3 or 4 buds and I had to go through and desucker and prune off 2 or 3 of the 4 shoots, I kep the shoots that were best positioned to grow up and fastened them to a 4 foot bamboo pole. That was about 5 weeks ago. Now with the heat and rain, I a, going throw again and choosing the strongest of the remaining shoots and pruning all plants to just one shoot, looping it around the bamboo and up to the wire. I would say 50% of the plants are up to fruiting wire at this point.

One decision I am not so sure about is how to prune next spring. I have this nice shoot that is properly threaded up the bamboo pole and then when it reached the fruiting wire I loop it around the fruiting wire. What surprised me is that in some instances secondary shoots start to grwowfrom the primary shoots and some of those are well positioned to grow out the 2nd arm of the cordon!

So I accompish the same thing (in one years growth) with one trunk, that I thought could only be accomplished with using two trunk to establish two cordons.

I’ve waited a couple months to write about the Kitchen at Elkin Creek. My wife and I have dined there at least six times in the past two months and every time has been phenomenal. In the past we’ve enjoyed other area fine dining places like Wolf’s Lair and The Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards, but the Kitchen at Elkin Creek has surpassed them all without even a glimpse in the rearview mirror!

In all honesty I don’t really understand how it happened. Let me explain. The primary purpose of the restaurant when it was built was not to be a restaurant, rather it was to house the winery for Elkin Creek Vineyard. The owner built an authentic brick, Italian pizza and bread oven upstairs and had planned to open a tasting room for the guests of his vineyard. Instead, I think he decicded a tasting room was too much hassle, and after a few fortuitous events occurred, he decided to leverage his experience in the restuarant industry and opened a fine dining establishment.

Additionally, the restaurant is on the same property as the Elkin Mill, a property that sits on the National Historic Register and from what I have been told, was once one of the finer eating establishments in the Southeast. It closed many years ago after the restaurant lost it’s head chef.

Anyways, the name of the current head chef is Jesse. He came from the Harvest Grill where he was an assistant to the Head Chef. I don’t really understand how that is possible, because the food is bar none, far better than anything I have ever had at Sheltons. Don’t get me wrong, Jen and I both enjoy Sheltons, but the food, the service and the wine at the Kitchen at Elkin creek are at a level that we rarely experience in any city, anywhere.

The restaurant was smart to limit their menu and focus on just a few items each night. There are no prices on the menu. There is one price (I think it’s $35.00 per person – funny I don’t even know!)and for that one price, you get to choose an appetizer, an entree and a desert. There are three or four choices for each. The menu changes weekly or bi-weekly. The head chef has promised to email his menu each week so I can put it up on their website!

Last night I chose the scallops, the halibut and sort of a strawberry creme brule / strawberry custard. Jen had the ravioli and shrimp with a chocolate bread putting for dessert. Both meals were out of this world. We chose a bottle of the Elkin Creek Pinot Grigio to compliment the seafood – excellent! Most times we order the Elkin Creek Barbera which is one of our favorite wines being produced in the Yadkin Valley.

I always have something to gripe about, but in this instance, Mark and Jesse seem to have nailed it. I don’t know how long they can keep it up, because it would just seem next to impossible to keep providing such immensely pleasurable food! It would be interesting to have some food critics visit the place, my guess is that it would once again rank as one of the top restaurants in the Southeast.

I’ve lived in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Phoenix, etc.. and it’s definitely one of the best, if not the best restuarant I have ever been too…and I’ve been to most of them!!! Go visit the Kitchen at Elkin Creek today!! They are open for lunch daily, brunch on Sunday and for dinner on Thrusday, Friday and Saturday! Website at www.elkinmill.com.

Lead story in the Winston Salem Journal…not sure how the local paper doesn’t even mention this… this sort of thing just pisses me off!!!! Not the paper missing the story, but the raping of the earth by loggers….Lake Laurel is just a few miles from our house.

MOUNTAIN PARK- A family’s retreat of more than 200 acres in the Mountain Park community of northwest Surry County has been scarred after loggers clear-cut nearly a quarter of the trees on it in the absence of its dying owner, who lived near Winston-Salem.

“When I first saw the damage, I was devastated,” said Sallie Mackie, whose aunt, Pearl Phillips, had nurtured the property since the 1960s and had transformed a low spot in the land into a 40-acre lake that the family cherished. “I was truly, truly devastated. We’re trying to find out about the laws.”

Mackie, a photographer who lives in Los Angeles, had spent the past year in the region taking care of Phillips, who died of heart problems in February. Mackie inherited the retreat, fondly called Lake Laurel, and she drove up to the property in April. That is when she discovered that about 45 acres had been logged.

The family doesn’t know who took the lumber, but whoever did it built a road into the back of the lot, avoiding a gated entry on another road. The family is unaware of any other logging being done near the property.

If the missing lumber is a case of theft, state officials say that would not be uncommon, but so many acres being taken at once is rare.

“Are these types of things that happen unwittingly? Somebody cutting the trees, and they go beyond the property line or purposely go beyond the line? Probably a mix of both,” said Jamie Kritzer, a spokesman for the N.C. Division of Forest Resources in Raleigh.

State foresters estimate – based on the new growth of seedlings at Mackie’s property – that the logging occurred in January and February. The family has filed a report with state foresters, who recently completed a survey of the damage. But local law enforcement has not been called.

Timber theft could be limited to a misdemeanor, foresters say.

“The bottom line is if Ms. Mackie were to call, the only way I could help her is to put her in touch with a list of private forestry consultants,” said Richard Cockerham, a forester for the N.C. Division of Forest Resources in Lenoir. A consultant would be able to come up with an estimate of how much lumber was cut and what it would be worth, he said.

Bill Overby, a private forester in Surry County, said he would estimate that the family lost $2,000 to $1,000 an acre, if the timber was mature.

Overby said that it would take at least a couple of months to cut as many as 45 acres.

“Once in a while we get called in where somebody inadvertently cut over the property line, and everybody wants to get it settled,” he said.

“This is a very unusual circumstance. I had another, off of Haystack Road. It was an absentee landowner,”Overby said. ” About 7 or 8 acres were cut in that case, he said.

Mackie said she is concerned now about erosion and other environmental problems that may occur as a result of the logging. She has contacted the Piedmont Land Conservancy and is discussing ways to prevent more damage. She also has an attorney, and they are trying to determine the best course of action for the family, which may involve a civil lawsuit, should they be able to find out who cut the timber.

“I’m so glad that my aunt didn’t have to see this. It would have broken her heart,” Mackie said. “My aunt had a rule: If you cut down one tree, it was just the one tree at a time…. (This) is just a hack job.”

The seventh annual Pinotage Vintage Tasting of Pinotage wines from different areas, including Worcester, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Swartland, Olifantsrivier, Robertson, Tulbagh and Walker Bay, was presented last week (8 June) at Doornbosch in Stellenbosch.
After winemakers, wine experts and wine writers tasted 13 barrel and tank samples of 2006 Pinotage wines, the conclusion was that elegant fruit is the outstanding characteristic of the 2006 vintage.

“The 2006 vintage shows a fine balance between upfront fruitiness and accessibility. The 2003 and 2005 vintages boasted wines with enormous concentrated fruit flavours, while the 2004 vintage was more ladylike with delicate wines. The 2006 vintage produced a combination of these styles. Most wines have a good acid balance and prominent fruitiness with a bit more elegance and softness on the tongue. The wines can get 80% for body while the other 20% provides the more drinkable part,” was the summary made by the vice-chairman of the Pinotage Association, Charles Hopkins, who presented the tasting. (interviewed after the tasting).

“Because Pinotage grapes ripen early and therefore are not exposed to the heat waves during late summer, a bad vintage very seldom occurs. This home-grown red wine variety therefore is very conducive to the soil and climate in the Cape winelands. Elegance with tasteful fruit is the golden thread of the wines we tasted,” says Duimpie Bayly, Cape Wine Master and board member of the Pinotage Association.

There was also consensus among the tasters that Pinotage is a terroir orientated variety. The area where the grapes are cultivated is portrayed in the bottle.

Another member of the Pinotage Association, Anthony Hamilton Russell, said the 2006 Pinotage wines showed a combination of pleasing, attractive and commercial. He said they will have a wide appeal as they are “crowd pleasers”. He asked the question whether the classic Old World style is not being neglected among the 2006 wines tasted.

South Africa’s biggest export market is the United Kingdom and many wines are made in the New World fruit-driven style to make them popular items in this market. However, Europe is also a big market for full-bodied wines with concentrated flavours that are enjoyed with food.

The selected Pinotage wines from the different areas were provided by Waboomsrivier Wine Cellar, Stellenbosch Hills, Knorhoek Wines, Windmeul Cellar, Citrusdal Wine Cellar, Spruitdrift Wine Cellar, Avondale, Viljoensdrift, Stellenzicht, Alvi’s Drift, Oude Compagnies Post, Stanford Hills Estate and Kanonkop Estate.

(and here’s a big surprise…)

North Carolina’s first winegrowers’ cooperative has run out of money and will close.

Winston-Salem, NC — North Carolina’s first winegrowers’ cooperative has run out of money and will close. The Old North State Winegrowers Cooperative began less than three years ago in Mount Airy.

The 1.2 million dollar co-op was envisioned as a way to create a market for small vineyards and a tourist attraction for the town. But members and state officials say the group’s money was drained by competition and a drop in grape prices.

The co-op’s collapse means about 50 growers involved will lose their individual investments in the project. Some say that amounts to as much as 70-thousand dollars.

Associated Press
Greg McLeese , Web Producer
created: 7/12/2006 7:27:48 AM
Last updated: 7/12/2006 7:33:19 AM

Second annual Western NC Wine Conference, 17 July 2006, Boone, NC: Register and view the program at http://www.wiselab.appstate.edu. Program will feature a large number of scientific instruments vendors who will have their equipment with them for demonstration purposes. Speakers will include Sara Spayd (NCSU), Mark Chien (PSU), Murli Dharmadhikari (ISU), Gil Giese (Surry Community College). Call Grant Holder 828.262.2757 for more information or email Grant at holdergn@appstate.edu.