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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.”
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