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Let the harvest in Niagara begin! First grapes picked at Henry of Pelham

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The grape harvest has begun in Niagara. Early Wednesday, the first wine-grapes of the 2015 harvest were picked at Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery’s Short Hill Bench sub-appellation.

It’s the 27th harvest for the family-owned and operated winery. Vineyard manager Matt Speck cradles the first Pinot Noir grapes at Henry of Pelham this morning in the above photo.

“We have amazing overall quality potential for the 2015 vintage,” said Speck. “Although a slightly lower volume is expected due to the colder than usual winter, the warm summer has brought ripeness levels above the average. These conditions are ideal for both the early grapes and the varietals we’ll pick in the coming weeks.”

The harvest is good news for Niagara as two consecutive bad winters has caused major damage to vineyards in Ontario and hit some varietals — such as Syrah, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc — particularly hard.

This year’s start is five days ahead of the average but within the normal timeframe for the harvest to begin, Speck said.

The first grapes harvested at Henry of Pelham were Pinot Noir grapes for the premium Cuvée Catharine sparkling wine, which will be followed by Rosé varietals and Baco Noir.

The harvest will continue until the end of October when later season Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon are ready for picking.

The wines from 2015 will begin to appear in market by spring 2016, starting with aromatic whites such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling, as well as Rosé.