Page 3 - Lake Front News: July 23-August 5 2020 Edition

Crooked Tree Vineyard Continued from page 1
purchase a vacation home on Kelleys Island. We were shown this 5-acre parcel and told the history of vineyards on the island, and we decid- ed in that moment to give it a go! Initially, we were just going to grow grapes, but the venture grew from there into our winery and tasting room,” explains Janet.
Crooked Tree Vineyard focusesoncreatingpleasant- ly drinkable reds produced from its Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin vines. With the help of a dedicated group of folks who are kin- dred spirits when it comes to handcrafted wine, it has become the first commercial vineyard on Kelleys in over 20 years. “Friends, family, and actual strangers have been beside us through- out this endeavor. We had people helping us clear the land, planting the vines; and now, folks help with the an- nual pruning, the harvest, and bottling. Crooked Tree would not be possible with- out the ongoing support of our family and friends,” Steve emphasizes.
The Cabernet Franc grape has an herbaceous nature that presents a drier wine experience. It also has a shorter growing season, and as a graphed vine can be more winter-hardy, mak- ing it a good choice for grow-
ing on the island. Crooked Tree Vineyard’s two dry red wines produced with this grape are its Cabernet Franc and Raccoon Red. Steve and Janet proudly introduced the Cabernet Franc in 2017 in honor of friends and family who worked very hard to help es- tablish the vineyard. They dedicate their other dry va- rietal blend, Raccoon Red, to the pesky raccoons that have developed a taste for the Cabernet Franc grape. Explains Janet, “Raccoon Red is named after the darn raccoons that ate what was to be our first one-ton har- vest in 2016! Over a five day period they consumed every grape in the vineyard... we knew about the dam- age deer and birds could do when we started...now we know about raccoons!”
A visit to the Crooked Tree tasting room offers not only the dry red experi- ence, but also the opportu- nity to savor a semi-sweet rosé (Island Rosé), a crisp dry white (Whitecaps), a sweeter white (Wildflower White) and a sweeter red (Four Sisters Red). Steve shares insight into the name and label of Four Sis- ters Red: “Four Sisters is a wine made for Janet and her sisters. The sisters do not like dry wine, and want-
ed to know if we would ever make a wine they could drink. That led to the de- velopment of Four Sisters sweet red wine. The four birds flocking around the tree on the label are Janet and her sisters.”
After bottling, each wine produced at Crook- ed Tree Vineyard carries a thoughtfully designed label created by the Wermuths’ cousin, Clevelander Jason Soditch. Consistent on ev- ery label is the crooked tree graphic with a wind chime.
July 23 - August 5, 2020/LAKE FRONT NEWS/Page 3
The tree now stands alone between rows 2 and 3 in the vineyard, thanks to Janet’s insistence that it not be cut down when they first began to clear the land. “It makes a nice shady spot for Happy, the dog,” says Janet. She adds, “The sound of the wind chime reminds us of the rela- tives we have loved and lost. They encourage and inspire us to keep up the work!”
When Happy is not lounging under his very own unique tree, he
Continued on page 9
Emilee Sigler and Sam Schooley relax overlooking the vineyards.
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