2007 brief crop outlook catalog letter

Fall Bright, The Winemakers Shoppe, 10110 Hyatt Hill, Dundee, NY 14837
HOURS: We are open all year round! We have always been closed on Mondays.

November to May 31: Tues-Fri: 10-5 Eastern Time   Weekends (Saturday or Sunday) by appointment 607-292-3995
June to harvest Tues-Fri : 10-5 Saturday 10-4    Eastern Time
Harvest (Sept-Oct): Tuesday to Sunday 10-5 Eastern Time

Free catalog, mail order of supplies but not grapes and juices.

Dear Winemakers and Brewers, August 4,2007

Welcome again to the Finger Lakes.
Fall will display spectacular colors, so don’t forget your camera.

This is our 30th harvest. September of 1978 was the first catalog, our first year in business for Fall Bright. 1979 was our first anniversary and our second harvest. So this is our 29th anniversary and our 30^th harvest. - Gosh, it doesn't seem that long ago!! The baby in the grape box in 1978 (Corlin) is 29. She is an easy way to keep track. I won’t tell you how old the older children (Tom and Megan) are! We have 5 grand children and another one (Megan’s first) on the way.

Crop outlook: The grapes look good and we were thankful for finally getting some rains in late June and July. We have put 2400 replacement vines in the ground this year to conclude replanting the 2004 and 2005 vine kill.

Gamay Beaujolais and Cabernet Sauvignon on Hyatt Hill and some of the more tender clones of Pinot Noir on Dutch Street were a near total loss and will not be replanted. Instead Tom has set Clones 113 & 115 of Pinot Noir in place of the Gamay Beaujolais and Gamay Noir in place of the tender Pinot Noir clones (Dutch St.) and Cabernet Sauvignon. Don’t despair! We still have a block of the hardier clones of Pinot Noir above the shop to meet your needs!

The so-called Gamay Beaujolais is a clone of Pinot Noir. Gamay Noir is a red vinifera hybrid of Pinot Noir and an ancient white variety Gouais (Goo-wah). Gouais is a central European variety that was probably introduced to northeastern France by the Romans (University of California). It will be at least three years before the first crop of Gamay Noir is harvested. We will continue to purchase Cabernet Sauvignon from quality growers on better sites. We think there is great potential for Gamay Noir in the Finger Lakes. Gamay Noir information:
http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/datastore/datastoreview/showpage.cfm?usernumber=14&surveynumber=351

Please place your orders for Late Harvest Vignoles, else Tom will think there is no demand and will not leave any grapes to ripen for a late harvest even if weather is perfect!

During the harvest, we are open Tuesday thru Sunday, remember that we are closed on Mondays. Luci is off and the men may be in the vineyard if you drop by. The shop is open year round and we also have online shopping at www.fallbright.com. NOTE: We check our emails to winemaking@fallbright.com and online orders occasionally during the day at the shop but it may not be a fast way to communicate mid-day. Please call 607-292-3995. If the line is busy, your call will be answered on the first ring by voice mail; leave a message or call back.

When placing orders, make sure we have your phone numbers, emails, deposit on whole grape orders (25%) but not on juice, and your pick up dates. Please order grapes in 5 pound increments. We will make every effort to contact you with a change of harvest dates and pick-up dates. Check your answering machine and know whose number you have given us for contact! If we have to hold your grape order, we usually recommend that you allow us to crush into a container to hold for your pickup. We need to crush small orders on the weekend, even if you have arrangements to pick up during the week. We will try to have a normal harvest schedule and will keep you informed by phone and online.

We hold our juices in cold storage, so you may combine multiple pick-ups in one trip. At a conservative operating cost of $0.50 per mile this can be a considerable savings when comparing prices. Bring an extra jug in case something is early or extra. Please note the last pick up dates on some of the earlier juices. We look forward to seeing you this fall.
May your wines fall bright! Tom and Marcy Mitchell

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Fall Bright, The Winemakers Shoppe    Tom and Marcy Mitchell
10110 Hyatt Hill    Dundee, NY 14837
Phone: 607-292-3995       E-mail :winemaking@fallbright.com
Some pictures complements of Steve Shanker    Steve Shanker's Winemaking Lesson site