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Q2022.21.307

Scope and Content

Attached letters: 1. Two documents from Bernard Martin, Union Pointe Vineyard, Kansas City, MO. dated 8/1/1987. A small hand written note page on Union Point stationary. At the top of the front of the first page (6¼" x 9") is written '1987 GW - 9 Production Data'. On the back of the page is a letter about 'The cork Situation". On the front of the second page (8½" x 11")is a bracket of various wines and data about the wines. The back page is a continuation of the letter that was started on the front of the first page. 2. A responding hand written letter in blue ink from Wilbur P. McDonald to Bernard, dated April 6, 1988. It is on Dr. McDonald's letterhead. There is a note inthe upper left hand corner stating " Made a copy for myself - had to use two sheets so I'll return this for your reference to attached data." The dimensions of this age is 7¼" x 10½"

Context

1. BRI PH TA TOTAL FREE 8/1/87 20.1 3.0 1.0 30 8/11 CRUSH 21.0 3.2 .75 30 - (CROSSED OUT " 8/11 & 8/12 SETTLED) At Bottling. 2/16/88 3.4 .63 25 _______________ SO2 Additions: _______________ 11/25 20 2/16 (btlng) 30 _______ TOTAL 80 25 __________________________________________________________ YEAST: ON CLEAR JUICE 8/12 EPERNAY II COLD STABILIZED 11/2/87 TO 2/15/88 ___________________________________________ FILTRATION 11/25 THRU 1 MICRON 2/16/88 (AT BOTTLING) THRU .45 MICRON, RES. SUGAR 2% (NET MORE THAN) ________________________________________________________ GW9 is a Chardonnay - Seyval Cross, (Planning to make one batch dry & one semi dry) see attached for more detail (this year) (RS 1-2%) Re the corks - (over) The Cork Situation - I am in deep trouble- trying to save little money, I purchased from a friend in NY about 2000 misprinted for Bully Hill Vineyard, but I think instead of being misprinted, they were rejected from Bully Hill for some other eason. I have had a hell of a time with these corks. On my last round of bottles this week I soaked them 20 minutes in SO2 solution, - no heat- and removed them a few minutes before use. Prior to inserting in my corking device, (or what the hell they ever call it) I dip one end of the cork in a solution of wine and glycerine. This seems to let them slide through the corking device and on into the bottle. The corks seem soft (which maybe the reason Bully Hill rejected them) and when heated by hot water they seemed to crush right in my corking device. Some times the plunger just went right through my corking device, hence the wine glycerine lubricant. On a number of occasions they hung up in the corker. In addition to being soft they have no wax coating, this making removal difficult. And my corking device needs to be replaced - wish I could find one like yours. PIWC has what appears to be a corker similar to yours for about $70.00 - Any how I have a lot of corks to use up. Extraction has not seemed to be much of a problem, although on occasional one breaks. Cork particles I think resulted from bits in chamber when previous cork presents some difficulty going through. (on back of second page) I hope I haven't bored you to the point of excessive wine consumption. I think I may be slightly touched by the hot dry weather. Professor ONG of St. Louis quoted an old German saying in part of the graduation ceremony last May - which goes "Few people know how much you have to know, in order to know how little you know." How well this applies to grapes & wine! Tu Vino Veritas (On the front of the second page) Seems GW-9 has no Labrusca ancestry - Rupestris being a Native American wild grape from the American Southwest, - Rupestris/St George being mainly a rootstock variety. Janger 70 is a cross of a Munson Post oak grape AXR-1 \ Aramon X and a select staminate of Rupestris, Rupestris/ Rupestris Rupestris has minimal susceptibility to black rot. -AX-4 ABOMON Rupestris Allcante Ganzin Allcante Bouschet S-452 S-1 Vaeger S4595 Unknown Vinafera S-405 S-14 S-5656 AXR-1 S4199 S-85 Courderc 132-11 (Seyval) 5276 Seyve Villard GW -9 -- . . . . . . Poor S 2007 Such Humble ancestry - but what an offspring! Above date from: 1. Foundations of American Grape Culture by T. V. Munson 2. A Practical Ampelography by Pierre Galot as translated and adapted by Lucie T. Morton (now Lucie Galot) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Dear Bernard, Your bottle of G. W. -9, was used to celebrate The Big 8 victories last Saturday night. Eleanor and I finished it while Kansas finished Duke, and Oklahoma finished Arkansas. Would you like my critique? - Here goes - The bottle was very appealing in appearance, was clean, uncluttered, and dressed nicely with the green top enclosure. Under the enclosure the cork was buckled however, and was difficult to extract without getting pieces of cork in the wine. It looked like it had been out in dry. If the corks are boiled, or put in hot water with a pinch of metabisulfite for 20-30 minutes they will go in more easily - and extract more easily. The wine was clear, and was a good light straw color. The nose was vinous, a bit light, and I could not detect any labrusca. As I have never had any GW-9 before, I couldn't identify what I was smelling. There was good body, one you could almost "chew' . In other words, it was "full in the mouth". The good body would indicate good glycerols - but there were few "legs" - which was incongruous. The balance was good, the sugar about 1% I would guess - maybe less. And I thought I could taste Chardonnay, but there was an extra bitterness in the finish I could not account for. This, in combination with some residual sulfur. All in all, it was a pleasing white wine, but not as well made as that red wine you served me in the kitchen on 28 Jan. Tell me where I am wrong. Hope you used those sparkling wines of mine to demonstrate what not to do. They all were obvious labrusca, etc. Finished pruning all my vineyard before the sap started running - so now I don't have any thing to do until the new shoots are 1-3 inches long. Hope you have finished your vineyard by now. Jim Ashby's letter is to the point - that he can't lose sight of who is paying his salary. He misses the point that amateusa are the best advocates of the wine makers, and it is to their advantage to encourage amateurs. Hope you and Millie had a good Easter, and both are staying well. Eleanor and I have colds rightnow - She claims to have gotten it from me - but I'm not sure.

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St. Joseph Museums

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