Your opinions do count

You guys are funny, no really. 17 emails so far and there is truly no consensus as to what direction the wine drinkers think the wine-maker should go. I love the comment “I think you should keep making sweet wines”, which of course we will. Another thought, “Does it matter what grapes you use, does it make much difference?” The answer to that is “YES!”. Even within the native American grapes, we see a surprising variance from year-to-year on what the juice tastes like and what the wine you make from it tastes like.

Take the sweet (2008) Concord wine we make called “Bunker Hill”, its our best seller and has been since our first year. This vintage is lighter in color (red garnet?) then last years wine, yet it came from the same vineyard. The flavor is pure Concord, but it does not have the intensity or volume of flavor we’ve had in past vintages. Yet some people say, “Like this batch best!” and others say, “Its good, but not as good as last year”.

In my discussions with regular customers, I try to convey the swing it is to start making wines from the European varietals as opposed to the native or hybrid grapes. One person said, “Are you afraid to compete head-to-head with the Big Boys?”. Well, yes and no. My feeling has been I can buy a chardonnay anywhere, but a good seyval blanc is harder to find. I think small local wineries should look at making different wines, wines consumers can’t buy elsewhere.

Yet, there is the question in my head, “How good of a cabernet could I make?” So the thought process goes on, what do you think? Send us an email or click on the “comment” below, no need to register, you may post anonymous or not.