Page 6 - BusinessWest July 24, 2023

Glendale Ridge now offers 18 different wines, and the portfolio continues to grow.
that.
“I started looking at value-added products, and grapes came
onto the scene,” he went on, adding that the couple started in 2010 with 110 vines that were planted in what has come to be called the west block. They started with a trial vineyard with rows of Reisling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and more. The initial thought was that they would make wine for themselves.
Initially, the Hamels partnered in this venture with Ian and Michelle Kersberger, who later started Black Birch Vineyard in Hat- field, a similar operation in many respects.
Today, there are three blocks and more than 3,000 vines at Glendale Ridge. The east block contains an acre of Cabernet Franc, while the Nonotuck block comprises three acres, with an acre each of Vidal, Traminette, and Corot Noir.
As he talked about growing grapes, Ed said there is lot of research and con- stant learning that goes into the equa- tion, and plenty of information out there from others in the business who are willing to share what they know.
“People who are in this business are very cooperative; they’ll answer your questions honestly and give you advice,” he told BusinessWest, adding that there are a few vineyard operations in this region and many more in the winery regions of New York.
Meanwhile, Cornell University has
a strong viticulture and enology pro- gram that publishes a large amount of information, he noted, adding that it has
become a great resource for him over the years.
The Cornell program has been involved in the creation of hybrid
grapes, which is mostly what is grown at Glendale Ridge, he said, adding that current varieties — which involve mixes of “old-world European varieties” and grapes grown in the U.S. — include Vidal, Traminette, Carot Noir, Itasca, Cabernet Franc, and Aromella.
Harvest time is in October, he said, with the Cabernet Franc, a red grape, the last one to be picked.
“We like to let that hang as possible — typically, we’ll go to October 25 or October 28, depending on what the weather is like, before we pick those,” he explained, adding that harvesting time has become an intriguing tradition at the vineyard, one that attracts growing numbers of volunteers.
“People tend to think it’s a great job to have a vineyard, and
it is, but let me tell you, it’s a lot of hard work.
It’s farming — I don’t need to say anything else — but there’s a lot of joy in it, too.”
6 JULY 24, 2023
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