Bratwurst Seasoning

A look at this season with the grape expectations

Perfect pairs

September 19, 2007 - as published in the Naperville Sun and Beacon News

By Bill Garlough

Fall is the time of year when winemakers around the world with love and celebrate their harvest its benefits.

However, the recent adverse weather could put a damper on much of the gaiety. Our global climate models have passed it is difficult for grape growers throughout the world. Locally heavy rains and recent flooding, I was concerned about its impact on wine production in Illinois.

Harvest forecast

Overseas, it has been very difficult for grape growers. France has had a cold, wet and had mold generalized attacks vine, resulting in lower production this year.

South Africa and Argentina have also repeated poor harvests. Parts of Australia have suffered a very hot, dry growing season and fires. The ash will dominate their grape juice with notes of smoke and bacon.

Moreover, California had ideal growing conditions. Grapes love warm sunny days, the cool nights and light rain. Winemakers check the pH of the grapes, the acidity and brix (the amount of sugar, which is available for conversion to alcohol) levels. When right, the producers point to pick crops, mainly the heavy autumn rains occur. Winemakers prefer a dryer, hot summer as it creates some vine stress (leading to a better wine) and allows a producer to add, through irrigation, the amount of water harvesting needs. You can always add water, but can not win.

Locally, our Illinois winemakers had a more difficult year. Kori Faltz of the Fox Valley Winery reported the early summer weather provided the grapes love. Heavy rains in August affected the grape pH, acidity and Brix, the more time needed on the vines in the hope of restoring the grapes at appropriate levels. The recent Labor Day Sun helped. Assuming that a few rays of sun fall, our wet August will be delayed harvest and only affect the production schedule of the winemaker.

Andres Basso, director of winemaking at Lynfred Winery in Roselle informed me they source the grapes in Illinois and Michigan, but the majority of grapes come from California and Washington. Given the conditions of the West Coast, a good harvest, they are confident in the quality of their 2007 vintage.

Wine festivals

This past weekend, there were three distinct festivals celebrate the fall harvest. The Naperville Wine Festival was held at the Naper settlement. Your ticket includes a souvenir wine glass and 10 tastings of over 200 wine selections. Geneva celebrated the 25th anniversary of their Festival of the vine. Twenty local restaurants offer their signature dishes with 14 wines by the glass. Local merchants offer special festival and horse drawn carriage rides were available. The Fox Valley Winery offered grapes in large vats to crush, and participants received a free shirt with a space for their impressions colored grapes. One of the festivals of the state's largest wine held in fasting Rock State Park. The festival featured wines from 20 wineries winning Illinois. The two days included seminars grapes in Illinois.

There is still time to enjoy this tradition in the fall. Soon, there are two local wine festivals that are well worth checking:

aec Harvest Fest When: Saturday 11 am to 6 pm

Where: Held at Faltz Family Vineyards, 2714 N. 4251st Road, Sheridan.

Who: Fox Valley Winery

What: This fun day includes visits to vineyards, wine tastings, a vintage baseball game, stomp grapes and grape spitting contests and musical entertainment.

For more information: www.foxvalleywinery.com.

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