Chardonnay grapes are getting juicier but they won’t turn purple the way the Pinot Noir grapes, in top photo, do.

Over in the apple orchard, the cider apples are turning red and flavorful. This is our bias showing, but store-bought apple varieties are simple, sweet things, while our cider varieties are infinitely more complex: They have tannins, acids and a complexity that is why they were bred for cider. It’s easier and cheaper to make hard cider from grocery-variety apples that have bruises and can’t be sold, but we cider snobs think that’s like making wine from table grapes. Nothing against grape juice, but it’s not Pinot Noir! 

Cider apples have varying flavors from bittersweet to bittersharp.

This is also the moment when plenty can go wrong. We’re in dread of forest fires, for the smoke could seep into the grapes or leave a veil of ash on the skins and taint the wine. Or a rainy September wouldn’t give the grapes and apples enough sun to fully ripen and could load them with excess water. But so far, all looks good for a great cider and apple harvest.

We’re also a bit nervous about bears and elk, for both can do a fair amount of damage to a vineyard. Last year we had four bears pile through the farm during harvest, and there’s a herd of more than 100 elk only about a mile away. But so far the elk have stayed away, and fortunately the bears seem to be more interested in the wild blackberries that, fortunately, ripen and sweeten just a bit before the grapes and apples.

By the way, it’s not only the bears who like our blackberries. Here’s our Chief Security Officer, Connie Kuvasz Kristof, dining on blackberries:

Kristof Wines has a tasting room!  It’s at The Carlton Winemaker Studio, in nearby Carlton. The Studio has an enchanting tasting oasis open from 11 am to 5 pm every day, and it has our wines as well as other first-rate wines from the area.  Nick, the bartender, may also be able to sell you a signed bottle of our wines if you get there soon to ask!

To celebrate the partnership with the studio, we’re having a party at the tasting room on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 1 to 4pm. Sheryl and Nick will be there, so come by and try a flight of wines and raise a glass to a great harvest!

The Studio is at 801 N Scott St, Carlton, OR.  No reservations necessary here.

The grapes are maturing to their rightful colors, with Chardonnays above and Pinot Noirs below, as we enter the harvest season at Kristof Farms

A reservation is necessary, though, to join our wine and cider club!   We’ll be shipping wines and ciders to our club members soon after harvest, and just after this year’s big election, we’ll host our nationwide Kristof Community Conversation exclusively for club members, so sign up now for one or the other or both.  As The Oregonian wine critic said of our Pinot Noir: “The wine’s aromas of blackberries, Italian prune plums and sweet hyacinth are a perfect introduction to a flavor that reminds me of a marionberry scone fresh out of the oven.”  Another wine critic called Kristof Chardonnay “Out of this world.”

This has been a great adventure for our family, and we want to bring you into our adventure and build a community with all of you.  That’s why we hold our online salon conversation each fall and spring with club members, chatting about wine, cider, bears – or, surely this year, the November election. Join in!

Reserve Cider Mint Julep

If you’re not already familiar with the mint julep, it is a classic American cocktail, dating back to the 18th century. The drink was first used as a “prescription,” to be used alongside medicine to help calm stomach trouble.

The mint julep we know and love today is usually with muddled mint, sugar and bourbon over crushed ice, and was made famous by its association with the Kentucky Derby.

We put our own spin on the mint julep, adding Kristof Farms Reserve Cider for a little tart apple surprise. Try this refreshing and easy to drink cocktail for a Kentucky Derby party, or simply for sipping as the temperatures continue to heat up this summer.

Ingredients

• 10-15 mint leaves, plus a few extra sprigs for garnish

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1.5 ounces bourbon

• Crushed ice

• 6 ounces Kristof Farms Reserve Cider

Place mint leaves in a cocktail glass and top with sugar. Muddle mint and sugar until mint leaves break down and sugar starts to dissolve. Add ice and bourbon. Top with Kristof Farms Reserve cider and garnish with mint.

And enjoy!