Texas has outstanding grape harvest

By Ron Saikowski / Wine Walk
Texas is not well known throughout the United States for its grapes and wine industry. However, this year’s harvest is causing heads to focus on Texas’ outstanding grape harvest.
The hybrid grape harvest was mostly great with Blanc du Bois and Black Spanish grapes coming in with outstanding quality and quantity. There were a few small vineyards that had grapes that were average due primarily to their lack of knowledge in combating a common Gulf Coast grape problem called “rot.” “Rot” is caused where wet weather conditions encourage the growth of molds causing grapes within the bunch to rot.
This causes problems for wineries because they do have to hand pick those “bad berries” out of the grape bunches. The vitis vinifera (classic grapes) are coming in beyond earlier expectations relating to quality and quantity. Betty Bingham of Bingham Family Vineyards exclaimed on her Facebook page that the grapes matured faster and in larger berries.
The mechanically harvested grapes on their family vineyards on the Texas High Plains were “textbook perfect!” Their mechanical harvester can “pick grapes” faster with little damage than hand-picking. Besides, the mechanically harvested grapes come in faster than hand-harvested grapes to the CRUSH pad where they are gently de-stemmed, mashed, crushed, and sent to fermenting tanks. It does take a lot of time to hand-pick grapes which allows for the grapes to start rogue fermentations.
Hand-picked grapes can be 10 degrees or warmer than mechanically picked grapes. This higher temperature indicates the fermenting process is well under way when the hand-picked grapes arrive at the winery.
This difference in grape temperatures is based on my internship at a California winery which used mechanical harvesters and purchased hand-picked grapes. I was daily on the Crush-pad judging the quality of incoming grapes, recording temperatures, and measuring sugar levels (Brix).
Duchman Family Winery in the Texas Hill Country reports high quality levels this year in their mechanically harvested grapes. Mont Sec Vineyards in the Chihuahuan desert, about 100 miles east of El Paso is already bringing in their Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to the Llano Estacado Winery in Lubbock. This is about a month ahead of what is normally experienced in California. Hearing all the outstanding reviews from Texas winemakers, it looks like the 2012 will be an outstanding year for Texas!
Bernhardt Winery Concert Series
The retired school-teachers-turned-into winemakers, Jerry and Jerri Bernhardt, continue their weekly Sunday Concerts at their Bernhardt Winery through the “Dog Days” of summer into the mild weather of mid-November. This year Bernhardt Winery is trying a different concert format to beat the heat for the month of August.
The Bernhardt’s will be moving the Sunday evening concerts inside their air-conditioned “Events Room” during the month of August to keep winery patrons cool! To keep the feel of their winery “Events Room,” they have booked some of their favorite acoustic artist that are better suited for an inside intimate performance.
The concerts will start at 6:30 and run to around 7:20 for 30 minutes for dinner or snacks and the sunset toast on the winery’s north lawn. Food service will not be available for these concerts. However, you are welcome to bring your own food.
The concert will resume around 7:50 and end around 8:45. The concert cover charge will remain at $10. Upcoming concerts include:
• Aug. 19 — Silver Shoes
• Aug. 26 — Kevin Higgins and Barbara Malteze
• Sept. 2 – Labor Day Sunday — The concerts move back outside! Bring the whole family out and celebrate the Bernhardt Winery’s Fall Harvest with a stroll through the vineyards hosted by yours truly, a grape stomp for the young at heart, lawn games, specialty food tasting, sunset toast, poetry readings and of course a fantastic concert by Shake Russell and his band!
Ron Saikowski may be reached at rsaikowski@comcast.net.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/living/texas-has-outstanding-grape-harvest/article_dee749ea-5ecb-5284-a136-19c1f7256675.html
Merging harvests may squeeze labor
Missing deadlines may jeopardize growers’ crop insurance options
By DAN WHEAT
Capital Press
A shortage of workers to harvest crops remains a big concern for West Coast growers, particularly tree fruit, grape and vegetable producers in Washington and California.
The shortage, caused by fewer migrants coming from Mexico and elsewhere, was not as severe as it might have been during cherry season. But it could become more acute soon during raisin harvest in California and in September and October during pear and apple harvest in Washington.
California is on the cusp of a “very, very real squeeze,” said Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League in Fresno.
A six-week harvest of 200,000 acres of raisins in Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties is just starting with growers getting the 26,000 to 28,000 workers they need from harvest crews of other commodities, Cunha said.
Workers will switch from vegetables and tree fruit to raisins for certainty of longer employment and higher piece-rate wages, Cunha said.
“We will hear of other commodities not getting harvested,” he said.
Competition for workers will be keen among raisin, apple, pear, table grape, wine grape and other growers, he said.
“A grower may have workers to pick but not enough to roll raisins,” Cunha said. Grapes are placed on continuous paper trays to dry and then are “rolled.”
They also may wait for cooler temperatures as current 104- to 108-degree days cook commodities, he said.
Raisins have to be on paper, ready for rolling, by Sept. 20 to be eligible for crop insurance, he noted.
Contract labor crews remain 25 to 30 percent short and the shortage remains likely to surpass that of 1998 because there are more commodities, he said.
An increase in I-9 employment eligibility form audits by federal Immigration Customs Enforcement agents is “causing havoc with the shortage we already have,” Cunha said.
“An employer gets audited and has to get rid of say 60 employees and then it’s where to go get more,” he said.
A big concern in Washington is that publicity about hail damage to apples may cause fewer pickers to come to the state, said Kirk Mayer, manager of the Washington Growers Clearing House Association in Wenatchee.
“We still have a huge apple crop and we need pickers to pick it,” he said.
A lot of hail-damaged fruit will go for processing or for hail-grade, fresh sales, he said.
The fresh crop is estimated at 108.7 million, 40-pound boxes. The total crop, fresh and processed, is estimated at 135.7 million boxes, up from 128.8 million in 2011.
Pear and apple harvest is just getting started. Peak demand for pear and apple pickers combined is in September and peak demand for apples is in October, he said.
The latest complete state Employment Security Department numbers are for 2010, Mayer said. In August of that year, there were 36,500 seasonal workers in Washington orchards. It jumped to 48,600 in September and was 44,600 in October, he said.
Competition for workers will come from wine and juice grape harvest, estimated to be up 30 and 32 percent, respectively, from a year ago. Hops, another crop competing for labor, is expected to be down slightly.
A total of 4,531 H-2A foreign guestworkers had been requested in the state year-to-date as of July 18 with 3,285 approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, Mayer said. That compares with 3,225 requested and 3,182 approved during 2011.
http://www.capitalpress.com/california/djw-laborupdate-081712\

Trailer One

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Things to do in Clark Philippines and Pampanga: do a little wine shopping at the famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga. It is lauded by food and wine lovers in Manila, Subic and Pampanga as the best wine shop outside Manila as well as a good place to buy wine in Pampanga.

Residents of Pampanga Angeles City, Subic, Tarlac and Clark Philippines know of this wine shop as one of the best places in Clark, a good night out place and simply the best place to hang out, enjoy some good wine with cheese on the roof deck with good atmosphere, or just relax and unwind with friends and family in a cool place. This wine shop in Clark Pampanga is recognized by many to be one of the best places to buy fine vintage wine in the Philippines. Located near Mimosa Leisure Estate surrounded by golf courses, resorts and a casino, this well known wine shop is frequently visited for its good selection of wine not available in Manila or Subic. Clark Wine Center is open 7 days a week from 10am to 8pm. Private dinners, wine tastings and group gatherings can be organized by advanced reservation.

Foodies and wine lovers travel north from Manila to wine and dine at Philippines’ best fine dining restaurant in Pampanga Clark Freeport worth the 60-minutes drive for a memorable evening of good food with vintage wine at Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar. Most guests would stop by this famous wine shop called Clark Wine Center to bring home a few good bottles of fine vintage wine also. Other visitors may find the wine selections in some of the restaurants in Angeles City Pampanga to be less than interesting, so they stop by this wine shop near Angeles City Pampanga Clark Philippines, buy some good wines and bring these bottles of good vintage wines to the restaurants so they can enjoy the dinner.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop which is lauded by wine and food lovers from Manila and tourists from abroad as the best place to buy wine in Pampanga.

This is one of the frequently visited places for wine lovers from Manila and Angeles City to buy wines in Pampanga.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Yats Leisure Philippines

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

Tel: 0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Road, Ortigas Centger,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

Tel: (632) 637-5019 0917-540-3626 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to
www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

TRAILER TWO

Tourists and residents of Manila travel out of town to the north on a short getaway look for the best place in Clark to buy some fine vintage wine to bring home after their holidays and vacations. Many find a top rated wine shop called Clark Wine Center to be an exciting place to do some shopping in Clark Pampanga. This famous wine shop is highly recommended for visitors going to Clark Pampanga to drink good wine, relax and unwind with friends and families. Clark Wine Center is also lauded by wine and food lovers from Manila and tourists from abroad as the best place to buy wine in Pampanga.

This frequently visited wine shop outside Manila is known by tourist and visitors to Pampanga, Angeles city, Subic and Clark Philippines as a cool place to hang out in Clark. Many attend the regular wine tasting held either outdoor on the roof deck or in indoor on the second floor above the wine shop. The place has good atmosphere for a private wine tasting party or a small night out gatherings for business or social event. Clark Wine Center is lauded by food and wine lovers in Manila, Subic and Pampanga as the best wine shop outside Manila as well as a good place to buy wine in Pampanga.

Tourists and visitors staying in Angeles City, Tarlac, Baguio, Subic and Pampanga sometimes wonder what are the things to do in Clark Philippines and Pampanga? Frequent visitors to Pampanga discover that it is fun to do a little wine shopping at the famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga.

Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars, leading supplier of fine wines in Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation. This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila. Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wine Catering is a unique product of Yats Wine Cellars, created back in 2005 in response to a growing demand for private wine parties in Manila, Cebu, Subic, Angeles Clark Philippines.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

Yats Wine Cellars can be reached at their Clark Wine Center Philippines wine shop located on the main highway M A Roxas of Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone or their sales office in Ortigas Centre, Metro Manila. Here is the contact information:

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center

Yats Leisure Philippines

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com
Buy wine in Cebu, Philippines at good wine shops and boutique wine stores that offer good selection of good vintage wines at all price points. Those looking for good wine gifts to send to friends and loved ones in the Philippines can now order special wine baskets from Yats Wine Cellars. Delivery can be arranged with a courier service to practically everywhere in the Philippines. Wine baskets cost php3000 up. What makes Yats Wine Cellars’ wine gift baskets so special is that the wines are not seen anywhere else in Manila. This makes the gift special and exclusive. Manila wine and food lovers looking for things to do in Pampanga and Manila can consider attending one of these wine events. The best way to learn more about wine in the Philippines is to attend public wine tasting events that have no sponsors. These wine tasting events held by Yats are non-commercial. Yats Wine Cellars does not promote a specific winery, producer or a brand. These wine tastings and wine dinners held in Manila and Pampanga are all designed to let wine lovers explore more interesting aspects of wine.