For us here at Satek Winery, September means grapes.  Lots of grapes.  

Our workplace gets a whole lot more scenic now.  We get to spend much of the next two months in the vineyards. Bees notwithstanding, the vineyards are at their most beautiful, covered in full foliage and dripping with colorful fruit.  We hand-harvest all our grapes, which is very labor-intensive, but does give you a whole new appreciation of what goes into winemaking! 

DeChaunac grapes at our Lake James vineyard on Kreibaum Bay

It always piques my curiosity, seeing bin after bin of grapes being brought in from the vineyard:  How many grapes can you get from one vine?  How many from an acre of vines?  And then, how many bottles of wine can you get from an acre of grapes?  This curiosity has led me to compile the answers to these and similar questions, in a list I like to call "The Grapes of Math" (ok it probably makes more sense to call if The Math of Grapes, but then it wouldn't be so catchy, right?).  Commit these to memory, if you like, and impress people at the next cocktail party you attend!  Just be sure to have a glass of wine in hand for full effect...

The Grapes of Math

Pounds of grapes produced by one vine: 8-12

Vines per acre: 500-1300

Tons of grapes per acre of vines: 1.5 - 4

Age of a vine before producing useful grapes: 3

Age of a vine before full production: 5

Productive lifetime of a vine: 30-35 years (although the quality can remain good, the yield begins to decrease after that)

Grape clusters in a bottle: 4-5

Grapes in a bottle: 500-600

Clusters on a vine: 40

Pounds of grapes in one 750 ml bottle: 2.8

Gallons of wine produced from 1 ton of grapes: 150

Bottles (750 ml) per vine: 4-6

Bottles per ton: 500-700

Glasses per acre: 16,000

Mind-boggling, isn't it?

Sláinte!

-Chrissie