A Twist On Traditionnelle: Edible

The summer swelter has let up by early September, but its ashes linger in the form of a foggy blanket tucked in the nooks and crannies of an increasingly sparse Greenwood, VA vineyard. Day by day, hand-by-hand, the vineyard at Septenary Winery is sheared of its ripe clusters- harvest is in full swing. Through the nulls, winemaker Corry Craighill kicks her damp-toed Blundstones towards an open gate leading to the winery. With her Australian Shepherd by her side, she bobs a tea bag of English Breakfast in a ceramic mug.

One hundred and some miles north, Nate Walsh of Walsh Family Wines is up to his elbows in the heart of a fermenting vat of Cabernet Franc. He pushes down the whole grapes that floated to the surface overnight. This is the morning punch down, just one of the many daily steps to ensure a full-bodied, healthy batch. He and Craighill will do this every day, several times a day, to their fermenting red wines.

Read the rest here in Edible Blue Ridge Fall 2024 issue pg. 12.