WINEMAKING THAT'S BEEN PASSEDrt
DOWN FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS.
rtKAREN: A TASTE OF ITALY IN THE
MIDDLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.rt
[BELLRINGING]
KAREN: ROLLING HILLS SURROUND
rtFULCHINO VINEYARD, A GORGEOUS
BACKDROP TO SAVOR A GLASS OF
WINE.
AL FULCHINO RUNS THE
FAMILY-OWNED WINERY NESTLED ONrt
SIX ACRES IN HOLLIS.rt
SEPTEMBER IS THE GRAPE HARVEST,
ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TIMES
OF THE YEAR IN WINE COUNTRY.
THE FRUIT RIPENING AND READY FrtOR
PICKING, ANTICIPATION AT ITS
PEAK.
AND IF THE GRAPES ARE ANYTHING
LIKE LAST SEASON, IT'LL BErt
ANOTHER VERY GOOD YEAR.
AL: WE WERE AS GOOD AS ANYTHING
CALIFORNIA CAN DO.
KAREN: THE WEATHER WAS JUSTrt
RIGHT.
THIS YEAR, A LITTLE COOLER, A
LITTLE WETTER.
AL: THIS YEAR HERE, WE'RE
WAITING TO SEE.
SO FAR, SO GOOD.
KAREN: THErt SECRET IS IN THE SOIL
-- RICH, BLACK, ORGANIC, AND
THREE FEET DEEP, UNUSUAL FOR NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
AL: THIS PROPERTY HEATS UPrt
INCREDIBLY.
IF IT'S AN 85-DEGREE DAY, I'M
OVER 100 DEGREES IN THE
VINEYARD, AND THAT PREVENTS
DISEASE BECAUSE IT PUTS FUNGUSrt
INTO DORMANT STATES.
IT'S VERY RICH.
KAREN: THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO
TELL WHEN A GRAPE IS RIPE.
rtAL: IF YOU LOOK AT THESE GRAPES,
YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF HAZE
STILL ON THE GRAPES COMPARED TO
THE DARKER BLUE.
THE DARKER BLUE IS REALLY WHATrt
WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
KAREN: THE SEEDS, FORTUNE
TELLERS TOO.
AL: TAKE THE WHOLE GRAPE IN YOUR
MOUTH.
OKAY.
YOU'LL NOTICE THERE'S A SEED OR
TWO OR THREE IN THERE.
THAT'S WHrtY IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT
OF A BITE.
THE SUGARS ARE STILL CLIMBING.
THE ACIDITY STILL DROPPING.
BUT NOW PUT THE SEED IN YOUR
HAND.
THE PULP IS STILL STICKING TO
THE SEED.rt
WHEN THAT IS RIPE --
KAREN: LIKE THE TWO SEEDS ON THE
RIGHT.
AL: THE PULP WILL BE GONE FROM
THE SEED.
KAREN: FOR PRECISE SUGARrt
MEASUREMENTS, GRAB THE
REFRACTOMETER.
AL: YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A SCALE.
KAREN: OH YEAH.
AL:rt AND THAT SCALE, BLUE MEETS
WHITE.
AND THAT SCALE IS ON THERE AND
TELLS YOU WHAT PERCENTAGE ON THE
SUGAR.
SO YOU'RE READING WHAT?
KAREN: 20%.
AL: 20% SUGAR.
WE'D LIKErt THIS ONE TO BE
23%-24%.
KAREN: PLUMP, JUICY GRAPES JUST
TOO TEMPTING TO RESIST.
BESIDES, SAMPLING IS PART OF THE
OVERALL EXPERIENCE AT THE
VINEYARD.rt
MM.
YOU LOSE A LOT OF GRAPES TO THE
PICKERS?
[LAUGHTER]
KAREN: NO REAL SCIENCE TOrt
PLUCKING THE GRAPES OFF THE
VINES -- A SPECIAL HAND TOOL
WITH A FEW BLADES MAKES IT QUICK
AND EASY.
AL: WE SEE THE STEM RIGHT THERE.
WE'RE HOLDING THE CLUSTER IN OUR
rtHAND, AND WE JUST PUSH IN, AND
THERE IT IS IN OUR HAND.
KAREN: ONCE WE HAVE A BARREL
FULL, TIME TO CRUSH THE GRAPES.
AL: JUST GET RIGHT IN THERE.rt
KAREN: OOH, IT IS COLD.
rtAND DON'T WORRY --
THIS IS ALL JUST FOR FUN.
THESE GRAPES ARE ACTUALLY FED TO
AL'S COWS.
HERE'S THE REAL WrtORK HORS
THE GRAPES ARE CRUSHED AND
DE-STEMMED.rt
FOR RED WINE, AL WOULD LET THE
GRAPES SIT ON THE SKINS DURING
FERMENTATION.
BUT THIS BATCH WILL BE A ROSE,
SO THErt GRAPES GO STRAIGHT INTO
THE BLADDER PRESS.
AND WITHIN MINUTES, THE JUICE
POURS OUT THE CYLINDER.rt
RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST FRESH GRAPE
JUICE.
VERY TASTY.
EVENTUALLY, IT'LL BE BOTTLED ASrt
A ROSE, BUT THERE ARE MANY
OPTIONS.
AL: YOU CAN GIVE ME ONE GRAPE
AND I CAN MAKE 10, 12, 15 WINES.rt
YOU CAN HAVE VARIATIONS OF RED,
ROSE, DRIVE, SUITE.
--rt DRY, SWEET.
IS IT OAKED?
IS IT UNOAKED?
WHAT TYPE OF OAK?
KAREN: AL IS A FOURTH GENERATIONrt
WINEMAKER.
HE LEARNED FROM HIS ITALIAN
GRANDFATHER, INHERITING HIS OLD
WINE PRESS, AND HIS WORK ETHIC.
AL: I JUST SAW THAT YOU CAN JUST
DO THINGS BY YOURSELF.
YOU COULD SEE MONEY COME TO YOUR
HANDS.
HE WAS TrtHE TYPE THAT COULD DO
THE CONCRETE WORK, THE
ELECTRICAL WORK, THE SHEET ROCK.
HE WAS THE GUY THAT COULD DO
EVERYTHING.
rtKAREN: SO WHEN AL ENVISIONED
THIS ITALIAN-STYLE VILLA TO
ANCHOR HIS VINEYARD --
rt[BELLS]
KAREN: HE BUILT IT HIMSELF.
ATMOSPHERE AND AMBIENCE, JUST AS
IMPORTANT AS GOOD WINE.
>> THE WINES ARE IrtNCREDIBLE.
YOU'LL NEVER FIND A BETTER RED
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND ACTUALLY
MOST ANYWHERE.
THEY'RE JUST RICH ANDrt
FULL-BODIED AND JUST TASTE SO
GOOD.
THEY'RE WONDERFUL.
COLLECTS WHO KNEW IN THE MIDDLE
--
>> WHO KNEW IN THE MIDDLE OF
HOLLIS?rt
IT'S AWESOME.
KAREN: FULCHINO'S ZINFANDEL SO
POPULAR, THERE'S A YEAR-LONG
WAITING LIST.
A GOOD EXCUSE TO TRY THE
rt
VINEYARD'S 35 OTHER WINES.
AL: WE'RE NOT THE BIGGEST IN THE
WORLD.
WE NEVER WILL BE.
WE DON'T WANT TO CLAIM THAT
WE'RE THE BEST THIS OR THAT.
WE'RE JUST US.rt