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It is Djatomaseous Earth Day,Pony Express Week, and International Bat Night . Diatomaeous Earth a soft sedimentary rockwhen crushed into a powder can be used as a filter aid. Something we did befor the purchase of our floation device and cross glow filter. Pony Express Riders --what did they think about when riding for miles on end? Bat night - did you every try to catch one?
Lots to contemplate -- atter you sit back; relax, pour a glass of Glenora's finest and enjoy this week's edition.
2025/08/31
v
Diatomaeous Earth Day Pony Express Week Bat night
31 August 2025
VVol. 31 No. 8-25 Diatomaceous Earth Day Pony Express Day Bat night 2025/08/31
The Glenora Gazette
Est. 13 April 1994
The sky is clear, and the sun is bright over the vineyards of Glenora and the shores of Seneca on this the last day of the eighth month of 2025. The last third of 2025 starts tomorrow! The temperature is very much Fall like 48 degrees, and it feels like the same. The wind is coming from the southwest at 3 miles per hour, and the humidity reading is at 93%. Lake temperatures: Keuka’s temperature is on its downward spiral – 73.5 degrees while Seneca is at 71.2 degrees with a dissolved oxygen reading of 101.4%. We are not sure about that reading as it is hard to believe that anything can exceed 100%.
In the vineyards: Harvest started this past week with Aurore being brought in by Gallo – yes, Virginia Gallo is in New York and has been for a while. The reports that we have heard indicated the crop was smaller than expected. If that trend were to continue the grape surplus that is anticipated will be less than what is/was estimated. There is concern that there will not be a market for some varieties this year, a smaller crop could help that. On the other hand, is there a difference to growers if they do not have grapes to sell, or there is no market for what they do have? Neither situation results in income.
More in the vineyards: Winemaker Edwards trips to the vineyards are becoming more frequent as he gathers fruit samples. As of this past Friday afternoon we will be bringing handpicked Pinot Noir that will be used for our sparkling wine program this coming Thursday. The other grape used in our sparkling wine program, Chardonnay, will be harvested the following week – all weather dependents.
On the press deck: With fruit expected to arrive this coming week the cellar and press deck teams are putting the finishing touches on having the press deck equipment in place, as well as equipment in the cellar that is used to clarify the freshly pressed juice. So, it appears that Team Glenora is fully prepared to start its 49th harvest, which will certainly be different, and yet in some ways like our first harvest in 1977.
Signs of Fall – some are those of Mother Nature such as cooler temperatures and the leaves changing color. In recent years, another sign has been added and that is the pronouncement of the upcoming season by tourism groups, chambers of commerce, and other groups. While weather patterns are constant over the years the announcement of fall by tourism groups seems to start earlier each year, very similar to the big box stores promoting Christmas in August. We have heard “Fall into Fall” announcements since early August, and we expect to hear “this wine goes well with Turkey” soon.
It is and has been a busy weekend at the Inn and Restaurant with wedding dinners and receptions and with the many folks traveling on Labor Day Weekend. The weekends in September and October will be very busy as in addition to visits from our “Leaf Peeper” friends they will be hosting weddings and receptions on most weekends during September and October
Thia coming weekend is the US Vintage Grand Prix Festival in Watkins Glen.
This is an event that we have participated in since the festival’s origination. Everyone is welcome to join us on Friday morning for the start of the Glenora Run, usually around 9:30. Later that afternoon (5:00 PM) self proclaimed local racing legend and Glenora partner Scott, will be on the podium at the start finish line to offer the official toast to start the race reenactment. The entire festival and events that surround it are all done by volunteers who most likely have race car blood in their veins. It is hard to believe that something that started in 1948 is still remembered and carried on in spirit! If you like cars, Watkins Glen is the place to be this coming weekend.
Thought for the week: Auto Racing
“Auto racing began five minutes after the second car was built.
What were you doing 17 years ago today 31 August 2008
What
V. Vol. 31 No. 8-08 Labor Day Weekend—National Waffle Week 31 August 2008
The Glenora Gazette
Est. 13 April 1994
It is a beautiful morning along the shores of Seneca and in the vineyards of Glenora. The sky is crystal clear, the temperature is a refreshing 52 degrees and the wind is coming out of the west southwest at 1.5 miles per hour. And to top that off, the weather gurus are predicting bright sun and warm temperatures for the balance of the Labor Day weekend!
In the vineyard—there is an old song “We almost made it this time” or words to that effect—the same could be said about rainfall in the vineyards this week—we almost made it a rain free week but .43 of an inch on Wednesday evening-Thursday morning, along with .03 of an inch on Friday morning changed that. We received our first issue of the Cornell Cooperative Extensions Veraisons to Harvest report this week. This report tracks the ripening of grapes across New York on a weekly basis starting from veraison (when the grapes change color) to harvest. The report includes information that tracks berry weight, brix (sugar), pH, T/A (total acidity), malic acid, tartaric acid, and lactic acid. The report then compares those numbers to similar time periods in 2006 and 2007. As of August 25th, Chardonnay is averaging 13.2 brix—slightly ahead of ’07; Cabernet Franc at 12.8 brix—again slightly ahead of ’07; and Riesling at 11.1 Brix—slightly behind ’07. We have yet to find the link to this report—it was send to us a j-peg file, so if you have an interest in seeing the full report send a e-mail to the editor – gene@glenora.com and it will be sent to you as a file document.
The production teams had the bottling lines running at full tilt this past week. The Glenora team made it a red vinifera week bottling Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The Knapp team was a bit more diverse bottling Pasta Red, Chardonnay, Valvin Muscat, Limoncello and Limeoncello. The Knapp team also installed a new bladder in their Wilmes press—we are ready for harvest!!
Label Lou (Lou Sheridan) has been busy preparing bottles of special labeled wine in preparation for next week’s Grand Prix festival. On Saturday morning, just before 7 AM the editor heard all sorts of banging in the cellar---Label Lou trying to get ahead, or so he said.
The editor visited (briefly) with the State Fair team on Tuesday. Mikey Merlot and his team have done a great job in setting up the Glenora booths—they (the booths, and the team as well) look great. Mike told us that the first couple of days were a bit shaky due to the new location, however by midweek the team was breaking sales records. Mike’s Saturday evening report indicated “tons of work and lots to drama—but we are getting through it”. A special thanks to Cellar Master Tracey Miller for making a mid-week early morning (leaving the winery at 5:30 AM) wine delivery to the fair—100 more cases needed as a result of the great sales efforts of the team at the fair.
Sad news—on Wednesday morning the editor received a call from Barbara Voellinger telling us that her husband George had passed away—pancreatic cancer. George was part of the Glenora team in the late 1980’s. George, having worked for several large distributors, gave the editor and others at Glenora many lessons in working in the wholesale arena. Our condolences to Barbara and her family.
Road trip—On Thursday, Margaret and the editor traveled to the Princeton, NJ area to meet with folks who we thought might have some interest in selling our wines in NJ. Much to our pleasure we were enthusiastically greeted and a great deal of interest was in expressed in our wines. The NJ folks were very familiar with wines from Finger Lakes Wine County and indicated a willingness to handle/sell them. This reception was refreshing as over the years the editor has made many presentations and often times the reception was less than enthusiastic with comments such as “where are the Finger Lakes?”, “do you really make wine there?, I thought all you made was grape juice!”, and the classic “this Riesling tastes like Concord/Catawba—it must be your soil!”. Fortunately due to the efforts of The New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the wine trails, the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, and many others these perceptions/beliefs are slowing disappearing.
Thought for the week: Errors
A person should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
PHOTOS
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Jbwm1j6x82U6s4ou9
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