Impromptu 2022, Meldville Wines

Follow a fairly very wet late fall in 2021 and a very cold snap in January of 2022. This cold event was troublesome, some varieties such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc being badly damaged Winter continues well into April with a cooler than normal temperatures. Summer months were favourable for grape growing with lots of sun and heat with just enough rain, maybe too heavy at times but just enough at the right times!! Conditions for harvest were very good. Fruit quality was impressive but yields were lower than normal.

The grapes for this wine were harvested from two small vineyards, one in Niagara on the Lake, the other in Beamsville. Grapes were crushed and destemmed before transfer to small fermenting bins. Grapes were fermented separately, punch downs were done by hand 3-4 times daily, extracting colour and flavour from the skins. After 30 days of skin contact the wine was pressed off the skins and moved to tank for a couple of days to settle off the heavier sediment. Following that it was transferred to French oak barrels where malolactic ferment was completed. The wine continued to age in the barrels for another 16 months.