Every year we check the sugars (brix) of the grapes in the first weekend in September, generally somewhere around the 8th-10th. This allows us to estimate when the harvest might start and check on the condition of the grapes, make the nets are solid and keeping the critters out and see if there is any issues of rot.
This year is an unusual year in that everything is so far ahead. So much so that harvest started in the first week of September exactly when we would be normally be making estimates on when harvest may start.
So the Evangeline was harvested at 19 brix. Other grapes are not far behind and many could be harvested now. We needed to net those ones earlier than we did as the birds had already taken alot of them. Here are the numbers for Sept 9.
Marechal Foch 17.8
Leon Millot 20
Castel 20
Matechal Joffre 20
Lucy Kuhlman 20
Triompe D'Alsace 18.5
Colmar Precose Noir 19
St. Croix 15
L'Acadie Blanc 18.5
Vandal Cliche 17.5
Sovereign Ruby 20
Ravat 34 16.5
Foch below,
Castel below,
L'Acadie Blanc