Mid-winter update

Not much has been happening over the winter as the wine continues to brew. "Brew" is perhaps not the right word, as it simply sits there and does nothing other than mature. I must admit to sneaking a little sample every so often, as I am curious about the taste. Around the beginning of January I took a little bit in a straw and put it in a glass. It has a rich purple color, and smelled pretty nice (I know, a real technical term). The taste was similar to grape soda, but without the fizz. It was definitely raw, and needs to mature even further. Perhaps it will be ready to taste by May. In any event, I will be stabilizing it (stop the possibility of re-fermentation) by the beginning of February.
Over the course of the winter, I had a chance to catch up on a lot of reading about vineyards, methods etc. and even joined the Minnesota Grape Growers Association. I did this because many of the Association's members are specialists in cold-climate grape growing and have a huge store of knowledge on the subject of viticulture in the northern climes. One thing I learned was that we should NOT have let the fruit grow the first and second years, and instead should have pruned it off. This allows the vines to strengthen and forces the nutrients back into the vines. Therefore, sad to say - we will have no fruit this year. Short term pain for long term gain I guess.