By Brittany Galbraith
Early last Spring, I found myself ankle deep in snow, cursing the frigid weather, and contemplating whether or not I wanted to see my boyfriend, Noah, ever again once we got out of the woods.
We were weaving a web of tubing through a group of maple trees to prepare for the installation of 160 maple taps on the Sugarbush Trail at The New Land Trust in Saranac, NY. Our goal that afternoon was to create a system of gravity-fed tubes, and connect them to a main line that would deposit sap into a large bin. After hiking into the sugarbush, we had to select the best trees for sap collection, and decide the best way to zigzag the lines for optimal flow. And, with 40 gallons of sap needed to make one gallon of syrup, this is a system you want to get right.
The two-handed tubing tool, which I still refer to as “the lobster claw”, is used to cut tubing as well as connect two pieces of tubing together, so ultimately creating a web of individual tree tap lines connected to a greater main line system. This process seemed simple enough. The “lobster claw” procedure: cut line of tubing; place the two ends of tubing and a plastic connector in line with one another, so that once clamped down, and lever pressed, these pieces are straight and tightly sealed together. With our fingers paralyzed by the freezing temperatures and our waning patience, this procedure quickly became frustrating. Collectively, we lacked a steady hand and a sense of synchronicity (Did I mention neither one us had ever done this before?). It took several attempts and lost tubing and plastic connectors in the snow until we established a smooth and steady process: cut, hold, place, clamp, connect, press, done!
Needless to say, it was a memorable bonding experience for Noah and I; and, when the syrup was finally ready to be tasted, months later, I savored every drop.
At The Champlain Wine Company, taking care of our North Star Vineyard has required much love, time, and critical thinking by our co-owners Natalie Peck and Colin Read. And, this time of year I think of Natalie and our very small vineyard staff tending to each of our over 4,000 vines- working through the cold temperatures to mindfully prune, cutting back 80% of each vine. This painstaking labor will encourage healthy growth in the warmer months; and, the quality of treatment the vine receives now will affect the quality of the grape, and ultimately the quality of the wine, that will be produced later.
We recognize many members of our upstate agricultural community from animal husbandry and vegetable farming to maple and wine production share this all-day-all-year-no-matter-the-weather-conditions commitment to quality; so, in an in an effort to celebrate the intricate and hard work of local maple producers, we will be hosting a kick-off event for Maple Weekends (March 21-22; March 28-29): Sap, Syrup & Sip. Stop by our shop Friday, March 20th from 5 to 8PM for a meet and greet with local maple producers Ben and Ashley Clark of Richard Atwood Maple Products. Ben and Ashley will be offering samples of syrup and other products, and sharing their experiences with maple production. Information about weekend events and tours will be available.
Maple sugar-rimmed wine and beer glasses will be a complimentary treat with any purchase of a glass of wine or pint of beer. Cheers to maple and wine!
The Champlain Wine Company
30 City Hall Pl., Plattsburgh, NY 12901