High tech organic?

Interesting article on combining organic growing,  robotics and grape processing from an article called: High-Tech Robotic Wine: The Future of Winemaking is Robots

The article contrasts the winemaker's blog which claims to use 'hand-sorted fruit', though the same winemaker touts in a Bloomberg interview the wonders of robotic sorting.  The author, Mish, is making the point about how robots have an advantage compared to humans:  they don't require health benefits, pensions, over-time, unemployment insurance, etc. Thought provoking.

High-Tech Robotic Wine: The Future of Winemaking is Robots
Read more at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/10/high-tech-robotic-wine-future-of.html#OWOq4v5kVAVTJP7g.99

 

"My goal is to be true to the fruit, let it express itself purely and fully.  Working with such a talented team, with such excellent vineyards and in such an exceptional facility is exciting and inspiring. HALL is truly devoted to making great wine—going about achieving that in all the right ways: Organically farmed vineyards, hand-sorted fruit, gravity-fed tanks, native yeast fermentations." - Steve Leveque

A robot takes pictures at 10,000 frames per second and analyzes the grapes instantly, selecting the ones that meet Steve Leveque's programmed specifications. Leveque is Hall's Director of Winemaking. A puff of air blats out unwanted grapes.

The robot does the job of 60 laborers in just a few hours. Leveque expects a return on his robotic investment in a couple of years. 
Read more at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/10/high-tech-robotic-wine-future-of.html#OWOq4v5kVAVTJP7g.99

A robot takes pictures at 10,000 frames per second and analyzes the grapes instantly, selecting the ones that meet Steve Leveque's programmed specifications. Leveque is Hall's Director of Winemaking. A puff of air blats out unwanted grapes.

The robot does the job of 60 laborers in just a few hours. Leveque expects a return on his robotic investment in a couple of years. 

Eight winemakers in Napa Valley have invested in robotic technology.
Read more at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/10/high-tech-robotic-wine-future-of.html#OWOq4v5kVAVTJP7g.99

A robot takes pictures at 10,000 frames per second and analyzes the grapes instantly, selecting the ones that meet Steve Leveque's programmed specifications. Leveque is Hall's Director of Winemaking. A puff of air blats out unwanted grapes.

The robot does the job of 60 laborers in just a few hours. Leveque expects a return on his robotic investment in a couple of years. 

Eight winemakers in Napa Valley have invested in robotic technology.
Read more at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/10/high-tech-robotic-wine-future-of.html#OWOq4v5kVAVTJP7g.99

"A robot takes pictures at 10,000 frames per second and analyzes the grapes instantly, selecting the ones that meet Steve Leveque's programmed specifications. Leveque is Hall's Director of Winemaking. A puff of air blats out unwanted grapes.

The robot does the job of 60 laborers in just a few hours. Leveque expects a return on his robotic investment in a couple of years.

Eight winemakers in Napa Valley have invested in robotic technology."

A robot takes pictures at 10,000 frames per second and analyzes the grapes instantly, selecting the ones that meet Steve Leveque's programmed specifications. Leveque is Hall's Director of Winemaking. A puff of air blats out unwanted grapes.

The robot does the job of 60 laborers in just a few hours. Leveque expects a return on his robotic investment in a couple of years. 
Read more at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/10/high-tech-robotic-wine-future-of.html#OWOq4v5kVAVTJP7g.99

French Wine Test Finds Pesticides in Each of 92 Bottles Analyzed

"Laboratory testing of 92 French wines from across the country found pesticide traces in every bottle, ... Wine producers in France account for 3.7 percent of farmland and 20 percent of the country’s pesticide use, the group said..."

... even bottles of 'organically grown' wine had traces of pesticides.

"The wines were tested using gas and liquid mass spectrometry that allowed detection of “very low” quantities of molecules of [between] 1 to 10 micrograms, ..."

The quantities are very low.  The larger impact is probably felt by field workers and any organisms, including people, downwind or downstream.

Lots of good ideas here: "Creating the Wines of Tomorrow", on Wine-searcher:

“Selecting varieties more resistant to disease seems to us the only solution for reducing pesticide use,” says Hernán Ojeda, an Argentinian engineer who is manager of the Pech Rouge experimental unit.

Vines are the second-most heavily sprayed plants in France, after apples, with spraying occurring between 6 and 20 times a season, depending on the region and the weather. Little trace of spraying remains in the wines, but the same cannot be said for the soils and run-off water.

Out of town visitor

An old friend happened to be in town, and came by to visit the vineyard.  It was his first visit. I gave him my 'breeding grapes for Texas' story, with an emphasis on late frosts and the perfection of Glen Rose as a place to breed for late bloom. We then had a glass of Lenoir - Tempranillo from Red Caboose Winery I had purchased just for such an occasion. Wonderful.

I think this was the first out of town guest to visit the vineyard.

Before he left, he mentioned some nervousness after driving up the bluff to the house.  "I didn't see any signs of a vineyard, but did see 4 cars.  I expected 2 cars. You know how people in Texas are about privacy.  I didn't want someone to walk out the door with a rifle."

This leads me to fantasize a bit. It would be nice to have a wine grotto with grape vines lining the path to it, and a vineyard off in the distance...

2012 crosses are planted!

The 2012 crosses have all been planted!  The white tubes provide afternoon shade.  There a 7 rows of seedlings, and one of blackberries. The 7th row was the last planted, and had a lot of hard clay for about 10' near the the eastern edge. The rows are on 16' spacing to allow for new rows in between this year's rows. 

Some healthy seedling photos

Below are some photos I took today of the healthiest 2012 crosses.  We had 3 inches of rain last week and some seedlings are putting on a growth burst.  Click on the photo to enlarge.

On the left, Doaniana Montague x Dornfelder. On the right, Linny lincecumi x Tannat.  Note the somewhat yellow leaves on the Linny cross (right side).  Other members of this Linny cross seem to have the problem, too.  Extra and Long John, two Munson lincecumi crosses, sometimes exhibit yellow leaves here (chlorosis?), so it may be a problem lincecumi has with the heat or the clay.  The Montague x Dornfelder (left) is very reminiscent of last year's Dornfelder x OP (prob. self pollinated), at least in terms of leave geometry and color.  These seedlings couldn't make it through the summer heat, though.  In contrast, this 2012 Dornfelder cross is having no problems with the heat.

With that said, look at this Chalk Mountain cinerea x Extra cross.  No yellow leaves here. 

Finally, here is Doaniana Montague x French Mystery vine.  I think this is the healthiest cross as a group.

Some reorganization here

I'm working on doing a better job distinguishing the 'October grape project' blog from the 'Mills Vineyard' blog.  In general, I want this to be more of a diary of what goes on in the vineyard, and 'October Grape Project' is more of a 'big picture' view with a specific focus on breeding a grape for North and Central Texas.

With this in mind, I'm moved the 'River Vineyard mysteries' post over from the 'October Grape Project'.  It is a diary entry.