TECHNICAL
INFO
|
Cases Produced
|
50
|
Vineyards |
Estate Glacial Gravels Vineyard, Lake Chelan Cortelli Vineyards, Lake Chelan |
Harvest
Date
|
October 12, 2012
|
Brix
at Harvest
|
23 ˚
|
Alcohol
|
13.5%
|
pH
|
3.4
|
Total
Acidity
|
0.73 g/100
ml
|
Barrel
Regime
|
100% new Eastern European oak
|
Winemaker |
Judy Phelps
|
LAKE CHELAN AVA INFO
Clear, glacial waters irrigate our vines
Lake Chelan is an inland fjord measuring 55 miles long and is part of the North Cascade mountain range in north central Washington State.
It is one of Washington’s newest AVAs,
receiving federal approval in 2009. Its geology differs from the rest of the
state in that it was
not influenced
by the Missoula Floods that happened 20-10,000 years ago.
At the time of the floods, Lake Chelan was
glaciated and protected from the floods, thus the soils here consist of sandy
gravels with an abundance of granite bedrock, mica and quartz of glacial
origin.
The soil here is also influenced
by pumice from nearby volcanic eruptions 12,000 or so years ago, providing an
ashy component, unlike other parts of the states.
Another distinct element of the Lake Chelan AVA is the ‘lake
effect’.
Lake Chelan acts as a big heat
sink that keep the temperatures a little warmer in the winter and therefore
protected from some of the killing frosts that can occur in other growing areas
and extending the growing season. Cool nights and warm days allow the let the
grapes hang for a longer time, without becoming overripe.
Our desert-like climate (only 10 inches of rain per year)
allows us to regulate the amount of water the vineyards receive through managed
drip irrigation. Irrigation water coming from the clear, clean glacial waters
of the lake originating in the North Cascades mountains.
Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards is committed to the environment
and to protect the water quality of the Lake Chelan watershed. We have just become the first vineyard in
north central Washington to receive Salmon-Safe and LIVE (Low Input Viticulture
and Enology) certification.