The vintner's year – October (at last)

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Jim Law, who, along with his mentee Rutger De Vink at RDV Vineyards, is one of the most accomplished winemakers in Virginia in my opinion, sent this despatch about goings on at Linden Vineyards last month. Our apologies for having sat on it for far too long.

We entered October in harvest overdrive. The good weather fortunes of September continued into the first week of October. Harvest was in full swing. Warm sunny days were quickly ripening many different grape varieties. There was a cascade of grapes – Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot – filling the crush cooler. Our organisational...