SEGMENT: FARMING METHODS, FARM BUSINESS, & WINE
Edward Russell>ISM Interviews M-Z>ISM Interviews M-Z, Segment 7
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- FARMING METHODS
- Plant on the highest elevation possible, so the cold air can escape, or the frost will damage the crop. Also good for drainage, wet leaves can cause disease. Grows best on sunny side of hill. Run soil tests before planting. Sub-soiling/fracturing the ground down to the hardpan so the roots can expand. The soil is like the foundation of a building.
- FARM BUSINESS
- Dave Ponsay ,Gary Orlandini, Allen Gillard, Denny Franklin of Pheasant Hollow, and Karen Hand of Blue Sky were instructors and consultants. Each person has different advice. Networking is fundamental to the wine business. Everyone works together to better represent southern Illinois wine culture.
- WINE
- Six variety of grapes (Seyval, Traminette, Vidal, Vignole, Concord, plus one more). Make dry, sweet, and semi sweet wines and blend them to create different tastes. Naming wines is the vintner's discretion. You have to make wines to suit everyone's different tastes. Mix high acid with low acid wine or one percentage of one with another percentage of another. Stay consistent with how you mix so people will come back, take records. Large wineries in CA that can specialize in one specific type of wine (merlot, zinfandel, pinot noir) have it easy in that they don't have to come up with the different combinations.
