Making Wine
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Steve Brooks Grapetree Estate
Winemaker's Calendar
| MONTH | ||
| January | Caring for the barrels of wine. Barrel bungs to be wiped with a solution of sulphur dioxide. Bottling of Older wines | The Pruning of the Vines. Vines can survive -18 C |
| February | The Racking of the new wine into new barrels | Finish pruning and take cuttings for grafting. Machine preparation |
| March | Continue Racking and finish bottling | The vines begin to emerge from dormancy. Tend to soil; aerate it and uncover bases of the vine |
| April | Topping is important - there must never be empty spaces in the cask. About 5% of the wine is lost in evaporation | Vineyard clean up continues, stakes are checked and replaced if needed. Plant one year old cuttings from nursery. |
| May | Working on Customer orders. The second racking of Lees | Frost danger is high and the vines must be watched through the night. Working of the soil, weed control. Removing of unwanted suckers |
| June | Continue the on going preservation of the wine | The vines begin to flower, shoots are thinned and the best ones are tied to the wire |
| July | Protecting the wine from the heat is the main concern. Bottling of the wine. Customer relations. Tourism is an important part of many Canadian Wineries | Continuous care of vines and soil. Third cultivation of soil |
| August | Inspect and clean vats and casks | Ensure equipment is ready for harvest. Weeding and care of vines continues. |
| September | Prepare the winery for the arrival of the grapes | Vintage! Protect the grapes. Keep vines trimmed. Watch for the perfect moment to pick the grapes |
| October | New wine is fermenting. Year old wine given a final racking. The turning of the barrels. Moving barrels to make room for the new wine | Harvesting continues until finished. Soil is fertilized and deep ploughed |
| November | Winemaker makes key decisions on his wine process. Final preparation steps are taken. A final racking of the wine is done | Place soil over base of vines to protect them against the cold. Cut off the long vine shoots |
| December | Casks must be topped up frequently. watching and controlling fermentation Bottling of the old wine. Tastings of the new | Starting over again |
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