| June 2024 Newsletter |
Farming
| My academic background is chemistry and physics. I also have a Master of Divinity degree and served as an Episcopal priest. My winery partner is a retired pediatrician. Our vineyard manager is a Master Gardener. If you are going to make wine with integrity and produce wine from your land, sooner or later, you need to grow grapes, i.e. you must become a farmer. I have learned the basics of pruning and trellising. Our oldest vines are now ten years old. Every year we learn more about what varietals do well here and which ones don’t. We learn about canopy pruning, harvest issues, growing new trunks above the graft union, and a host of things that people who do not grow grapes here never have the pleasure of learning. Real winemaking is an agricultural enterprise. Let that sink in for a minute. Repeat the phrase a few times. There are real business implications that flow from that simple idea. Here are two of my conclusions derived from this idea: 1.) Grape-growing (viticulture) must be promoted and greatly expanded in Oklahoma if we are ever going to have a viable tourist industry of real wineries making real wine from locally grown grapes. 2.) Viticulture must financially compete against other land use decisions farmers make. We must be able to show that the net income per acre of growing grapes favorably competes with other farming choices like cattle and crops Consumers today value authenticity. They not only want to see decorative grapevines around the winery, but they want to know that our wine comes from locally grown grapes. I do not have solid data on this, but I would bet that more people value truly local products over the “organic” certification. Come out and help us with harvest. We have a huge crop this year. We have two experimental plots of white wines – Viognier and Picpoul Blanc. We will use “whole cluster press” techniques with our Vignoles. We may have a Charmat tank for producing sparkling wines. We are constantly experimenting and learning. We will help any winery that wants to make real wine from locally grown grapes. We’re all in this together. Bob Wickizer, Winemaker  |
| Recent Bottling We do produce a few popular wines that do not come from our vineyard. This is largely due to market demand and our support of local growers. 1. Cabernet Sauvignon – We produce about 30-45 cases of our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon every year, but that doesn’t come close to the demand. We also obtain grapes from the West Coast and produce another 60-90 cases of Cab Sauv under the label “Purple Martin.” Often, we blend a few percent of Chambourcin with it. We will have this year’s Purple Martin in bottles by mid-June. 2. Moscato – We produce a label called “Whisper To Me.” Originally we used a hybrid grape from a grower in Arkansas (same AVA as Muskogee). This year, we are reviving that label with a “vinifera” Muscat varietal called “Muscat Cannelli.” We expect this new label to do well. Come try it later this month. 3. Brilliantly Lit – This is a whiskey-barrel-aged white wine from a hybrid called Vidal Blanc. The name has a great story behind it and the parent of this grape, Trebbiano, has some fascinating uses. Although this is not Chardonnay, it’s as close as we can get to a barrel-aged, partial MLF chard with locally sourced grapes.Other planned bottlings this month include:Zucker Küsse Riesling |
| Wine Education Corner Rosé – We are going from rose to rosé. The pink, foo foo wine of summer. We will celebrate National Rosé Day this Saturday, June 8 with an event at the winery. How is rosé made? Rosé is made from red grapes treated like a white. That is, we allow the mushed-up grape “must” out of the crusher-destemmer to sit for a period of time. During that time, the juice gets its color from the grape skins. That time varies from days for an Oregon rosé from Pinot Noir, to 15-20 minutes for our Tempranillo rosé. How does it differ from whites and reds? Rosé is pink because some of the dark red coloring molecules are transferred from the skins into the wine. In the process, some tannins from the red wine are also introduced into the wine. Rosé has a wonderful balance between the acidity and brightness of a white wine and the heavy tannins of a red. It is the perfect summer drink. What foods pair well with rosé? My favorite entrées are ham and salmon, but don’t stop there. Try bruschetta topped with ricotta, arugula and Prosciutto or a tomato-feta pasta salad, or shrimp-avocado tostados. The list is endless. Think color when you pair things with rosé and you can’t go wrong.  |
| Events You Should Attend Rosé Soiree – Saturday, June 8, 2:00-4:00 pm, Winery Cellar. Learn how rosé is made. Taste different types of rosé. Develop your wine-tasting and aroma detection senses. Have a great time learning and enjoying different wines. $35. Includes wine and small-bite food pairing. Send email to: info@pecancreekwinery.com to reserve your spot. Father’s Day Picnic – Sunday, June 16, 3:00 – 6:00 pm. Winery Cellar and lawn. Come enjoy our best barbecue recipes along with wine pairing and sides. We will have lawn games available, outside tables and tents set up. Beer is also available. BBQ with wine, $35. Children, $15. Send email to: info@pecancreekwinery.com to reserve your spot. Murder Mystery Dinner – Saturday, June 22, 6-9 pm. Enjoy a terrific meal and fun entertainment from our thespian winery staff in figuring out whodunit. $60 pp. No refunds within 48 hours of the event. Send email to: info@pecancreekwinery.com to reserve your spot. |
| Outside Winery Events 1. All Aboard Thursdays: Third Thursdays of the month: June 20th and July 18th in Downtown Muskogee, OK 2. Saturday Farmers Market; Muskogee and Tahlequah |
| Wine Dinners and Public Tastings We have done many wine dinners around the state of Oklahoma. We are the only winery in the state that can make four or five wine pairings from our wines that were not only “Made in Oklahoma” but grown here as well. We love to do wine dinners. Ask your favorite restaurant to give us a call at 918 683.1087 or info@pecancreekwinery.com. We do fun and sometimes educational events. Everyone has a great time. We also do public tastings at liquor stores. If your favorite retail store does not carry Pecan Creek wines, just ask them. Tell them that we can do a public tasting and zero in on the labels they want to carry. Our winery customers tend to be our best promoters. Thank you for your help. |
| Buzzwords Carbon Footprint – Did you know that the energy required to ship one bottle of wine 2,000 miles (like from California, Europe, or Australia) is enough to drive an average car several miles? This is not insignificant when considering a local wine choice versus something from far away. The big producers far away want to focus consumer attention on “organic” and “biodynamic” while getting us to ignore their significant carbon footprint just in shipping the wine so far. There are also other factors in the winemaking process for the giant wineries that we could talk about as well. But do not let one buzzword fool you into thinking something is “better” because of that one factor. |
| Staying at the Winery The winery has provided space for up to four RVs with 50-amp hookups and water (no sanitary facilities). We have recently purchased the five acres and building immediately to the north of the winery, so now we have room for more RVs that do not need electric hookups or water. These are called “BoonDocker” sites. These locations also offer privacy and a great view of the vineyard. This summer, we will open the house adjacent to the winery as an Air BnB facility. With a full kitchen and beds for up to eight guests, this will provide another opportunity for folks who want to visit the winery and spend the night in total peace and quiet. Stay tuned for our opening date. |
| WE SHIP TO 38 STATES! Wine makes a GREAT gift! did you know that we ship to 38 states, making it an easy gift to send to your loved ones? Ordering is easy on our website! We ship to the following states: AK, AZ, CO, DC, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY |