On the day before my visit to Sugar Creek Winery, Mother Nature decided to peak her head out and produce 2012’s first proper snow storm. Sugar Creek Vineyards and Winery (est. 1994), which lies in Defiance, MO (within the Augusta American Viticulture Area) was hit with a snow system that blanketed the vineyard with a fresh layer of snow. Due to high winds and cold temperatures, the road conditions leading out to the winery were manageable at best.
When I finally pulled up to Sugar Creek which sits atop an elevated bluff leading out to Augusta, MO, the wind and cool temperatures had a distracting impact on the stunning views from this hilltop property. Looking due south you can see for miles across the Missouri river valley. The soils in this valley consist of a silty loam which proves beneficial to their property and allows the roots to grow deep into the ground.
Owner Becky Miller was making her way up to the tasting room while fighting the strong winter winds, where I met with Becky, her son and Winemaker Christopher Lorch, accompanied by their welcoming golden lab named Ranger.
Chris gained his winemaking experience working in Napa Valley, California, where he spent two years working for Plump Jack Vineyards. Those two years proved beneficial because Chris has remained head winemaker and vineyard manager since Becky and her husband Ken opened their doors in 1994.
The estate vineyard consists of five main varietals which are predominately used for all the wines made at the winery. The varietals along with acreage include Chardonel (2 acres), Chambourcin (2 acres), Vidal Blanc (1 acre), Cynthiana/Norton (3 ½ acres), and Delaware (1 acre). All of the vines were planted on the property in 1994, excluding the Delaware which was planted 25 years ago by the previous owner Boone County Winery. The winery website also lists a varietal called Noiret (pronounced Nue-ar-ay).
The goal for this visit to Sugar Creek was to get a better understanding about their estate vineyard. Winemaking brings its own challenges, but growing quality grapes can bring its own set of challenges. Chris and Becky helped explain some of those challenges during our discussion.
JS: How is the Noiret grape varietal used in your wines? Is this a blending grape or can it be used on its own? This seems to be an uncommon grape here in Missouri.
Chris: I have been buying the Noiret from a friend who has been growing the grape. We use it to blend with other grapes, but this is not a grape we use in a stand-alone bottling. The characteristics on its own are not as good as our other varieties so we use it to add character to other wines.
JS: What type of trellis system is used on your property? (Trellis System – Wiring and post system which allows grapes to grow uniformly)
Chris: Single High Wire (High Cordon System) on everything except the Cynthiana which uses Geneva Double Curtin (GDC). The GDC trellis system is commonly used for the Cynthiana varietal here in MO. Harvesting can be a little more challenging with this system. We pick everything by hand here at Sugar Creek, with no mechanical harvesting, so the GDC system makes it a little more challenging during harvest.
JS: Are you seeing new flavors develop as the vines age?
Chris: Vintage quality seems to be more of an impact here at this property than vine age impacts. So many variables impact fruit quality in the vineyard, and we are doing everything we can each year to maximize that. We have to make smart and sometimes tough decisions each year, because the resulting fruit is what keeps our business going.
Becky Miller: We are in a position where we are small enough that Chris can manage the winery and manage the vineyard both. Having his attention in both areas gives us more confidence.
Josh: Being able to have attention in both the winery and the vineyard allows a winery to have complete control over the entire winemaking process. They also have the weight on their shoulders in regards to the decisions they have to make in the vineyard. All decisions they make in the vineyard to the finished wines are on them. Bad decisions = bad wines. A lot of what they do is out of their control as well. Chris elaborates on this.
JS: What issues do you deal with during winters here in Missouri?
Chris: Winter die back, having to prune in cold conditions, and late freezes. With the crazy conditions we are already seeing this winter 2012 (warm start), we are already concerned about a late freeze. Some don’t realize that the impacts of a freeze during one season can carry over into the next several vintages. After the freeze in 2007 which wiped out over 70% of the crop, yields (amount of fruit the vineyard produces) were down in 2008, and down even more in 2009.
Cells that transport nutrients up and down the vine are killed during these freezes. This can cause leaf discoloration during the next growing season. Then when the leaves are brown, you start to wonder if it was from the freeze or 15 other possible diseases when you compare the leaf to a picture in a book.
In 2009, I did everything as professional as possible, but it rained a lot. You need 5 days by rule of thumb, for the diluted grapes to flush out the rain in the clusters. Rain will work its way down into the vines, but the rain didn’t quit. We ended up picking our fruit in the rain.
I do appreciate a good vintage now. Some wineries have the technology to manipulate poor vintages. Our small winery doesn’t have that option. I can tell wines I have from good years, and the ones that came from bad vintages. I always look back and wonder if I could have done something different in the vineyard.
JS: Do you ever buy fruit from other vineyards?
Chris: We do on occasion, but we can never seem to get the quality from a grower that we strive for on our own estate vineyard. Having our own vineyard is huge. Our guys visit each vine at least 7 times each vintage. Sometimes 15 if it’s a complicated year. We do a pass and sucker the vines, prune 2-3 times, sucker again, shoot position, drop fruit, tie up shoots where needed, etc. If they have bird problems like they did in 2011, you have to put up netting. Then you have to go take the netting off. And finally, they go through and comb the vines. This is basically what it sounds like. They take each shoot, and make sure it is straight up and down, and getting the proper amount of sunlight and air flow.
Without proper airflow, mildew and other diseases can begin to form. Without proper sunlight, your grapes do not develop properly.
JS: What common issues do you deal with in the vineyard during summers?
Chris: Humidity, mildew, insects. Japanese beetles, locusts. In 2011, locusts caused damage to the vines. The females will slit the bark in the shoots and lay eggs. Due to the shoot being compromised, leaves die off on the vines. Leaves are necessary for ample shading. Each cluster requires seven leaves to maintain that balance you look for on the vine. Extreme summer heat can damage your fruit if you don’t have this shading.
JS: Can you see different flavor profiles in the grapes when you purchase fruit from one part of Augusta, compared to say, fruit you buy from Hermann, MO?
Chris: Yes. However, it is hard to tell what types of vineyard practices are implemented at each site. Different spraying, how did they prune, did they drop fruit, the trellis system, did they add lime to the vineyard. Due to this variability, it makes it hard to know if that one location is really a unique location, producing unique flavors, or if it was from the vineyard practices.
End of Interview
After speaking with Chris and Becky, you can tell a serious dedication to their business. Maintaining a quality vineyard takes a significant amount of work and funding. A lot is even out of their control. You learn that owning your own vineyard requires doing most of the work yourself if you want it done right. So many factors can alter fruit quality. Even with all the hard work, they both admit they enjoy what they do.
Sugar Creek is blessed with a stunning property as I said before. Sitting on a bluff that overlooks the Missouri River Valley helps you understand why they jumped on this property back in 1994. The undulating slopes are ideal for sunlight exposure, air flow, and drainage.
If you get the opportunity, take a walk on the north side of the property next time you visit Sugar Creek. This is one of the prime vineyard locations in Missouri, turning out some of the finest regional varietals in the Midwest. You won’t be disappointed.
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