Life is Grand!

You know, this has been a great week.  The breeze has been constant but not heavy, the sun has glared down on me helping me get ready to go into veraison soon, and the rain was held to just enough on Monday morning and early afternoon to give me what I needed, but not drown me.  Being a grape this week has simply been swell.
 

The crew of people seems to be pretty laid back this week too.  That have gone through and visited all my friends Chardonnay, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, Merlot, Syrah and Mourvedre as well as my beautiful Viognier self.  They have finished tucking me in with those funny red c-clip things holding my shoots between the wires.  They have mowed down all that itchy grass in my rows and have just let me chill out.  It is quite cozy being tucked in and secure.  The only thing I wasn’t overly thrilled with was that they went through and snipped off my growth tips.  I will show them, I am going to start filling out through my laterals now.  And they though their work would be done J.

I also overheard that the winemaking team was getting together to discuss what they want to do with me once I am all sweet and delicious.  That have ordered up a bunch of fancy Jupilles forest oak barrels from me to hang out in and are now looking at different options regarding whether they want to get some yeast or let me just do it on my own with my indigenous yeast.  I think they will probably split me up in the long run and do some trials.  Last year they tried all sorts of stuff with my buddies of the 2011 vintage and it was apparently confusing but kind of fun to see all the areas of their cellar.  Really they won’t know exactly what they are going to do with me until they see if the summer keeps up with the beautiful dry weather and some hotter days.  They really want to make sure I stay clean, become my sweet self and that I taste delicious.

So since it is such a laid back week, I kind of want to ask you what you would do with me.

Would you ferment me with specific yeast or let me do it on my own?

Oak me or don’t oak me?  Old, New or a mixture?  They already told me I can’t go into Virginia Oak since I am just so elegant.

Do you think they should aim to harvest me early with zippy acids or let me get all juicy and tasty?

So many decisions I make for people when I am this awesome grape variety, Viognier!