A different kind of sparkler
A version of this column was published was published 10/13/21 in The Observer and The Review & Express.
Chardonnay harvest began at Wagner Vineyards on October 8th–a much anticipated pick after the team discovered something truly shocking in the vineyard this summer. “When we describe our Unoaked Chard as having “lightning fresh acidity” this is NOT what we meant!” said the brand on Instagram, in a post detailing a strike of lightning to a block of Chardonnay vines.
“We talk a lot about hyper-local weather events. You can get hail two miles up [Seneca] lake and we're fine,” says Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Alex Jankowski of the surprise found in the vineyard. “Now we're talking even more granular–like down to the very row–can be affected in a different way. It’s wild.”
Superstitious or not, it’s hard to ignore the eerie discovery. Of the 250 acres farmed by the vineyard team, only one row of vines was impacted during an overnight storm: unlucky number 13.
Even more hyper-local is which grapes actually received a jolt. “It struck somewhere on the trellis wire and that wire conducted the electricity up and down. Anything that wasn't touching the wire is fine. [...But] anything that was touching the wire got singed,” explains Alex. As the grapes are harvested, the team will take special note of row 13. If tonnage and tank space will not allow for a wine of its own, the juice will likely be blended into the next vintage of Unoaked Chardonnay.
According to owner and vineyard manager, John Wagner, this is an unusual occurrence that has happened only twice before. Thanks to previous experience, the Wagner team has learned that vines affected by lightning have a shorter lifespan. For now the Chardonnay will stay as is, but “the last thing we would want to do is have [a vine] producing fruit that’s not viable,” says Alex. Once harvest is complete and the season turns, the vineyard team will further assess the damage and determine how quickly the vines will need to be replaced.
In the meantime, the team is hard at work. So far, hybrid and native varieties, as well as vinifera like Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and now Chardonnay have been processed. With promising weather reports across the next couple of weeks, the team is thankful for a break in the aggressive rain events of 2021. The weather patterns (that were also seen during the floods of 2018) seem to be real-life examples of the impact of climate change to our region.
With sunnier days on the horizon, the team is hopeful they’ll achieve more ripeness for the Bordeaux red varieties that remain on the vine like Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Season permitting, they’ll also harvest Vidal for a dessert wine in the future.
The Wagner team is making the best of an arduous growing season. Alex says it’s important not to lose perspective when comparing this year to 2020. He reminds us that “one of the hallmarks of this region is that every vintage is going to vary significantly–and that's almost part of the fun.”
He’s also quick to point out that “there are no bad vintages–just challenging vintages.” He draws a parallel between 2021 and 2019, which lead to some stunning higher acid and sparkling offerings. “Every vintage has certain varieties that are going to shine. We're super excited to see what comes out of this 2021 growing season.” Perhaps it’ll be a little bit of unoaked lightning in a bottle.
Maiah Johnson Dunn is a writer based in the Finger Lakes region. You can read more of her work on maiah.com.