 Frequently asked questions
Q. Where can I purchase Paradocx Vineyard Wines?
A.
Paradocx Vineyard
wines are available at our two tasting rooms in Fairville, PA, and in
Kennett Square, PA. We currently have 10 wines available for
tasting and purchase.
Q. Why grow wine in Southeastern
Pennsylvania?
A.
American commercial winemaking started in Pennsylvania. Many and various factors has kept Southeastern Pennsylvania
from realizing its full potential to grow world class wines. These factors need
not be discussed for they are changing, and Chester County is becoming known for
its quality wine. We have many of the characteristics of other fine wine
regions. In fact we may be better situated to grow consistent fine wines then
other currently well recognized wine regions in the East.
Q. How can I buy wine grapes from Paradocx Vineyard?
A.
Commercial
winemakers may call or email to inquire about availability, price, and other
arrangements.
Paradocx Vineyard's first commitment is to work with
commercial wineries in our join effort to promote and increase the recognition
of the fine wines from our region.
Depending on the year and variety, Paradocx sells fresh fruit (same day of
harvest).
If you require hand-picked fruit for a particular wine style please inform us
at the time we make arrangements to sell you fruit. This gives us time to
arrange for the necessary labor.
Q. How can bad weather be managed?
A. Adverse weather is always a concern no matter what time of year. We cannot "control" the weather nor the
vineyard, but we can "manage" both. For drought we can irrigate. For
too much rain the answer isn't as simple. The vines may need hedging to control
excess growth. the risk of fungal diseases are higher so more sprays are
applied, and we make sure the canopy is well ventilated and the fruit well
exposed so it can dry quickly. For frost we utilize wind
machines to mix warm air
from above the ground with the cold air on the ground.
Extreme cold in the
winter can be hard or fatal to the vines. We try to give the vines the
best
chance to resist the effects of extreme cold by keeping the vines
nutritionally healthy. we also have 15 varieties and all varieties tend
to react to different
weather conditions differently.
Q. What state-of-the-art viticulture practices are employed?
A. Most of the vineyard is trained to Scott-Henry, a vertically divided
canopy. Originally developed to balance a vines growth to the vigor of the
soil, Scott-Henry is well suited for our moderately productive Glenelg and Manor
Loam soils. Scott-Henry also provides excellent sun exposure for the canopy and
fruit. we make every attempt to follow the principles of Richard Smart in
"Sunlight into Wine".
The entire vineyard is supplied with drip irrigation. This decision has paid
for itself already when one considers the drought years of '98 and '99. Being
able to provide the vine with water when it needs it is more important than the
overall rainfall. Most East Coast viticulture experts consider irrigation
necessary to grow the best wine consistently.
For the 2000 harvest we purchased a Braud 2720 mechanical harvester to
increase our efficiency at harvest. we and our purchasing winemakers were very
pleased with the quality. mechanically harvesting enables us to harvest the
fruit at the right time. we are not dependent on the constraints of labor and we
can respond quickly to changing weather if need arises.
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PARADOCX
VINEYAR