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Grapes' Success A Tale Of 'Terroir'

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Published: September 17, 2008

LITHIA - On harvest day in August at Blue Heron Vineyards, Mary and Don Johnson chose a quiet row in a far-off corner of the fields to fill their belly buckets with fruit.

Vineyard owners Bob and Bonniejean Paulish invited their friends to reap a bushel or two from this year's crop. The hobbyist winemakers planned to hand-pluck about 100 pounds of grapes to make some 50 bottles of wine.

The belly buckets, specially made for harvesting and strapped around their waists, made hauling the plump fruit a bit easier.

The Haines City couple planned to make wine to drink, share and show. With wines created from last year's harvest, the Johnsons won Best of Florida and Best of Show for red and white wines at the Florida International Wine Competition, held annually at the Florida State Fair.

Don Johnson said geological factors at the Lithia vineyard known as "terroir - a combination of soil, climate and sunlight - create an extraordinary grape and exceptional wine.

"They seem to have the perfect terroir here," he said.

The Johnsons use the grapes they pick each year at Blue Heron to make Communion wine for the church they attend, Lamb of God Lutheran in Haines City. Don Johnson said the congregation jokes that there is never any leftover wine after Sunday services. He tells everyone it's all in the Lithia-grown grapes.

He plucked a fat, golden white muscadine grape off the vine and held it up to admire in the bright sunlight.

"There's something magical in this soil," he said.

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