Estate Bottled

Estate bottled means that 100% of the grapes in that bottle of wine came from that wineries vineyard.  A winery cannot put the words "Estate Bottled" on their label unless they are within the boundaries of a recognized American Viticultural Area (AVA).

Blue Sky Vineyard is located within the "Shawnee Hills" AVA and many of our premium wines are Estate Bottled.  As a winemaker I prefer to use the grapes that are grown at Blue Sky Vineyard because I have more influence over the quality of grapes and how the vines are managed.

For example, our Estate Bottled Chambourcin Reserve was vinted from our vines.  We harvested only 3 tons per acre of Chambourcin.  Mid-summer our vineyard manager dropped 1/2 of the clusters on those Chambourcin vines so the remaining clusters could ripen to perfection.  He also opened the canopy to allow more sunlight through to ripen the grapes.  Another advantage of using your own grapes is the transportation from the vineyard to the crush pad is minimal which allows the grapes to be processed quickly.

Consumers are contentious of where their food is grown.  This is also true of the wine industry and wine drinkers.  Customers often ask, "Which wines were made from your grapes?"  So next time you visit Blue Sky ask our staff which wines are Estate Bottled.

Karen Hand

Winemaker