Part 2: Vino blooms from old cottonfields

Yesterday in your Daily Herald we brought you “Vino blooms from old

cottonfields,” about the Ventosa Plantation Vineyard and Winery. Now we

bring you part 2 with Alex McLennan’s venture of the winery and history

surrounding this vineyard in Scotland Neck.

Part Two

Three stainless steel tanks rise from the floor, giving the room a

distinctly sci-fi atmosphere. But there’s nothing remotely alien about

the processes going on in the tanks innards, a process owner/operator

of Ventosa Plantation Vineyard and Winery Alex McLennan said goes back

to the dawn of recorded history. “It’s an ancient process. People have

been doing this forever. I mean people have been making it in their

garages for 100 years or better.”

The chemistry and variables involved are enough to make even the most

educated winery boss nervous. Beginning with a fine-tuned combination

of sugar and yeast additives to control sweetness and begin the

fermentation process, the wine is constantly monitored to ensure proper

temperature control.

Primary fermentation lasts three to seven days, after which the wine is

removed and put into a clean tank. During this stage the wines

temperature must remain in the mid-60s, which helps the wine to retain

the character of the fruit. McLennan said this is made possible by what

he called “cold jackets,” bands around the tops of the tanks which can

be chilled to lower the wine’s temperature.

Secondary fermentation takes anywhere from two to three weeks. The

process is halted through the use of a large chiller condenser, which

lowers the tanks temperature to around 32 degrees. McLennan said he

finds this the most irritating point of the process, as the tank around

the cold jacket tends to sweat condensation, leading to wet floors and

long hours of mopping.

After secondary fermentation is halted, the wine is allowed to age for

nine to10 months. Temperatures are kept cold to inhibit yeast growth.

During this time, said McLennan, the wine will loose much if its

acidity, which he prefers to keep around the 3.4-3.6 level to allow the

wine to have a somewhat sharper bite. Afterwards, the final product is

bottled and allowed to set for a time.

According to McLennan, who trained for three months at a technical

school in Dobson, the process can be daunting even after several years

of experience. Or as he puts it, “I know just enough to know I don’t

know squat.”

“It requires a lot of experimentation and a lot of luck,” he offered.

“I read everything I can and talk to everyone. There’s always more to

find out.”

McLennan said he’s learned several lessons the hard way, producing one

batch of wine that was nearly undrinkable during his first year. “The

acidity levels are crucial,” he said. “If you get that wrong it can

make for some very unpleasant wine.”

Another hazard McLennan mentioned is something known as “bottle shock,”

a little understood phenomenon that causes wine to develop a foul taste

for a time shortly after being bottled, only to return to normal after

it sets for an indeterminate length of time. “It tastes terrible and

then, for whatever reason, it’s fine again. Some people don’t believe

it, but it’s absolutely real,” he said, with a slightly baffled air.

Red and white wine have their own peculiarities as well. While white

wine must have no contact with oxygen after fermentation, grapes used

for red wine skip the de-stemmer process, undergoing what’s known as

“fermentation on the skin,” whereby the entire grape is placed in the

tank as the yeast is added. Red wine is also aged longer than its white

counterpart.

I’m always trying something new,” said the lanky, tattooed farmer’s

son, as he raised a glass of Noble wine fresh from the tank. As he

drank, he lowered the glass and smiled. “This isn’t quite ready … just

a little raw. But it’s still nice.”

The Land

McLennan’s ties to the farm go back to the early days of

pre-Revolutionary War America, when his ancestors first settled in the

area some 300 years ago. His immediate family has worked the land for

the last 31 years.

Discussing a memoir written by one of those ancestors, William Clark,

who once lived on the farm, McLennan recalled the former North Carolina

Supreme Court Justice’s description of sitting on his front porch,

watching as “40 slaves pulled 40 plows.”

“There used to be slave houses all along the edge of these fields,” he

said, describing an aerial photo he’s seen from the 1940s.

Other historical factors also influenced his eventual career choice.

According to McLennan, one of the first wineries in America was located

in Halifax County, at Medoc Mountain.

Though he’d been working the land beside his father since he was 10,

McLennan said he was determined to cut his own path. “I was sick to

death of cotton, which is our main cash crop. I wanted to do something

where you weren’t constantly replanting.”

Inheriting what he describes as “one of the finest pieces of

agricultural land in the state, McLennan said he and his father decided

to try the no till method of farming several years ago, a decision he

couldn’t be happier with. “Tilling the land is for dummies. Down here

we have the hardest, tightest soil you could ever work. You can make

mistakes and the land will let you get away with it.”

McLennan said anyone thinking of following in his footsteps should

understand “the winery business isn’t a short term proposition. You

have to be in it for the long haul. It takes time, but you have to

stick with it.”

“This vineyard will outlive me; it will outlive my children and

probably their children,” offered McLennan, when asked about the legacy

he hopes to leave future generations. “It’s a little patch of paradise,

that’s why I want to hang on to it.”

Scanning the deep green fields one last time before climbing in his

truck and heading back to the winery, McLennan summed up the philosophy

that’s kept him moving forward, in search of the perfect grape for the

perfect wine. “I love working outdoors, but the depth of history

surrounding this place is what drives me. If I’m going to make my mark,

this is how I’ll do it.”