Jilted? Shucks

Last week we heard from our neighbors that the entire vineyard production of cabernet franc they were planning on supplying to an established winery in Palisade was no longer needed by the winery.

What?? No longer needed or wanted? How could anyone at the end of the growing season just all of a sudden realize "Oops, I don't need those grapes next week, ok?" The harvest is in September.

Jilted!!!! They have no contract (not unusual) so they are free lancing. What are our neighbors going to do with 4.5 tons of Cab Franc grapes that have no owner?

I would think that long before the start of the growing season, say February, the wineries and the vineyards have done their mating dance. "The vineyard grows 4.5 tons and winery buys 4.5 tons." The grape harvest should be a low stress process with regard to this issue.

I mean what reputable winery is going to plan for buying from the harvest only a month before. It's like "Oh my god, I forgot to pick a grape, what should I do?" (said in a valley girl voice) That shouldn't happen. And it did to our neighbors.

Our neighbors have the perfect vineyard. I mean they really do. They prune when they should. They spray when they should. They weed when they should. They have the most healthy vineyard in the Vinelands area, in my opinion.

So for them to be JILTed towards the end of growing season is unthinkable.

What are they gonna do with the 4.5 tons of lucious red grapes that they worked so hard to make beautiful? Maybe that's how wineries get started. "I got no buyers so I better harvest these suckers." the vineyard growers think.

Hopefully with Malbec grapes we won't be in that same position but you never know. We better put in a contract something about defaulting on the contract. Or something like that. Otherwise we'll be letting the grapes rot on the vine. And that is a REAL shame, that's for sure.

Anybody need 4.5 tons of Cab Franc?