will be remembered for a long time by Mid-Atlantic winegrowers. The year started with a very warm March and first week if April, so warm that the vines were about to break bud about two weeks early. Then a deep freeze hit the Eastern US (the “Easter Massacre”), dropping nighttime temperatures down to the high teens and low twenties east of Colorado and north of Florida. Vines that have not broken bud can easily survive this cold, but new green growth is immediately killed off. If the green growth dies back, the vines will push secondary buds and will generally survive this type of freeze, but secondary buds are not very fruitful, so many growers lost most of their crop. 
Fortunately the vines at Black Ankle Vineyards were still a few days away from budbreak, and the vines waited out the cold weather in peace. Many of our friends in North Carolina and Southern Virginia were not so lucky, and if this unusual bit of weather had a come just four or five days later, it would have hurt us badly as well. After this harrowing beginning to the season, we were treated to one of the easiest/nicest/best growing seasons in memory. Ample sunshine, just enough rain to keep the vines going, and warm temperatures right through harvest made for beautifully ripe, concentrated grapes.
Healthy grape clusters
early in June.
The 2007 whites were bottled in April of 2008. They include varietal bottlings of Albariño, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner and Viognier, as well as a blend of these grapes and Muscat, which we call Bedlam.
The 2007 reds will remain in barrel until they are ready to be blended and bottled in the spring of 2009.
Harvest.
Our harvest crew hard at work.
Assistant winemaker Denny Boyce helps winemaker
Sarah O'Herron run the press.
