There's No Place like Napa!

There’s something so special about being in Napa during harvest. The fork lifts are moving at full speed on the crush pads, lifting tons of freshly picked fruit in bins. The winemakers are gleaming with pride as everyone around is tasting the grapes and complimenting their perfect pick. Vineyard workers are glowing as they are witnessing the fruit of their hard labor, literally. The smell of fermentation sweeps over the valley as aficionados and novices alike gather to pay homage to the most wonderful time of the year- harvest.

The first winery visit this trip was at Truchard Vineyards in Carneros, where we were welcomed with open arms by three generations of Truchard family at their estate. Our journey there came full circle as we started with glass of beautiful Roussanne and ended gratefully with their unique Roussanne botrytis. Botrytis requires a certain growing condition of high humidity and moderate temperatures that allow for the growth of the mold, botrytis cinera. This “noble rot” is a rare and highly prized late harvest wine. We finished our lunch and were joined by vineyard founder, Tony Truchard on the crush pad as we tasted the perfectly ripe syrah they had just brought in that morning. Truchard Vineyards is the perfect example of a grower’s passion for farming and agriculture that goes on to make pure and humble wine.

The next morning we visited the winery of Cuvaison, whose quaint farmhouse-style guesthouse we’d been lucky enough to be accommodated in on this trip. There we overlooked our “backyard” for the weekend and admired their vineyard-driven wines. Their estate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is fueled by outstanding growing conditions as they combine sustainable methods with a perfect Carneros location, cooled by fog from the San Pablo Bay. Their wines are balanced and complex, boasting natural fruit elements with minimal manipulation.

Later we visited Frog’s Leap, where we shook the hands of their vineyard manager who has been tending to their vineyards for 25 years. He expressed to us the immense amount of labor that goes into the care of the vines. We thanked him, as the care of the vines shows brightly in the quality of their wines. Not only are Frog’s Leap wines perfect for opening upon release, but we learned firsthand by tasting their 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon that they are also extremely ageable and complex.

Our last appointment of the day took us on a windy mountain road as we carefully made our way to Sonoma. Here the elevation was high, and the views of rolling hillside vineyards were breathtaking. Before I go on, I must mention how absolutely partial I am to the Hanzell winery, as four years ago they received me for a harvest internship. I have admired their wines and the people that make them ever since! Winemakers Michael McNeill and Lynda Hanson greeted us with a tour of this historic fine wine producing property equipped with 46 acres and underground caves.


After our winery visit, Lynda Hanson invited us to see her home and browse her extensive farm filled with livestock and vegetables galore! Here we enthusiastically picked fresh vegetables off their vines and experienced farm to table quality at its finest. It was quite special to be reconnected to the people and place that gave a city girl from Miami a chance to learn about winemaking in Sonoma.

The highlight of our final day in Napa happened off of the Silverado Trail at ZD Winery. Here we had the opportunity to walk through the barrel rooms and taste through some of the 2014 and 2015 vintages. Though these wines had not completed their aging, it was evident that they were gleaming with potential. In the tank room, we tasted their freshly pressed Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Still going through fermentation, these samples showed us how much bright fruit their vineyards boasted. Our time here concluded with a very special tasting of their most unique and highly-acclaimed wine, Abacus. Abacus is a unique Cabernet using the solera system, blending 23 vintages of their Cabernet from 1992-2014. As a result, this wine combines the maturity and development with wines as old as 23 years alongside the bright youthfulness of some of their more recent vintages. This is truly the ultimate luxury blend!

As we concluded our journey through California’s wine country, we all agreed that we can’t wait for the release of the 2016 vintage. There is nothing like witnessing what our very own American soils are capable of. The California wine industry is booming and the wines are quite impressive. California is truly a unique playground for winemaking where there's a wine made for everyone and one for everyday of the week.

Until next time, Napa!

The Battle Between Banks: My Journey to Bordeaux

                Where terroir and vintage triumph over just about everything, and the battle between two feuding banks remains very much alive- like the war of the Capulets and Montagues in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The wine-lover’s paradise that is Bordeaux finds itself in southwestern France in the Gironde department on the Garonne River. Internationally noted for some of the most sought after and expensive wines in the world, Bordeaux also produces a very high quantity of everyday value wines.

                One of the most distinguishable characteristics of the wines of Bordeaux is that they are all blends. This allows the Chateau to produce the best wine for each vintage, taking into consideration the conditions for each varietal during harvest. By the laws that govern California winemaking, there must be 75% of said varietal in order to apply its name, such as “Cabernet Sauvignon” or “Merlot,” on the label. In Bordeaux, it is about the location of each Chateau, as the labels express the vineyard’s appellation with highest importance, and often the components of the blend are unmentioned.

 

                The ongoing battle of Left Bank vs. Right Bank has become a conflict of which grape reigns as King. The Left Bank most often boasts wines predominately based of Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas the Right Bank has crowned Merlot as King. Left Bank has the famous wines of the Medoc, ascending much masculinity and firmness, and the Right containing the esteemed elegant wines of St. Emilion and tiny Pomerol, offering femininity and remarkable texture.

 

                The reputation of the prestigious Left Bank wines and its monopoly of 1^st growths had always swayed me to believe that its wines must be superior. However, it was during my journey through Bordeaux that I realized the beauty and elegance in the wines of St. Emilion. This charming village dazzled me first with its beauty, then with its dining, and most importantly its luscious fruit. Built by the Romans, the stone walls surround many of the winding roads, and centuries old Chateaux line the hectares of plantings. 

                Our journey brought us to France to attend the internationally acclaimed “Vinexpo,” the world’s largest wine tasting of the year. Here hundreds of thousands of people in all facets of the industry combine for a few days of tastings, meetings, discussions and panels. Winemakers and importers try to get exposure and acquire new clients, and businesses like ours at Wine World are sifting through thousands of wines trying to find the highest quality at the best values for our market. This is unlike any exhibition I’ve ever been to, as the booths are far from mundane with no standard black linens in sight. In fact, each booth averages about $20,000, and some over $100,000 in cost for production. For example, Jean Claude Boisset’s booth had 6 rooms; a red velvet room with all red velvet furniture, a glass room with dazzling chandeliers, a private chef executing food for visitors, and even an outside lounge where guests could catch a glimpse of sunshine as they sip his JCB sparkling rosé.

                After hours spent at Vinexpo evaluating potential wines and passing around the spittoons, we filled the rest of our days with appointments and tastings at several different Chateaux.

Chateau Lynch Bages-

 Appellation: Pauillac, Left Bank/ Classification: Grand Cru Classe

Important to note: We tasted the 2007 vintage of Lynch Bages, which was overall considered a below average vintage for Bordeaux. Their 2007 was drinking beautifully, with firm yet refined tannins, evolved and luscious fruit. Bordeaux Chateaux are individually making superior wines outside of what is dictated by the overall vintage. Consumers are now starting to focus on the quality of production and style of each Chateau, and their ability to still produce fine wine even during what may be considered an average vintage.

Chateau Mouton Rothschild-

Appellation: Pauillac, Left Bank/ Classification: Premier Cru Classe (Classified First Growth)

Important to note: As a first growth, it was noticeable from the tour that this Chateau receives a lot of visitors, and their winery was equipped with impressive up-to-date technology. We tasted their 2014 which will be released in 2017. Although premature, one could see this wine has started developing its elegance and texture, with perfectly ripe and supple fruit. Tasting “en primeur,” or before the wine is bottled/released, requires a different tasting skillset, as the wines are not yet developed and are strikingly youthful.

Chateau Cos d’Estournel-

Appellation: Saint Estephe, Left Bank/ Classification: Grand Cru

                Important to note: This dynamic Chateau has an interesting cultural identity as its founder was inspired through his travels to India and imprinted many Indian furnishings and touches on this property. “Cos” is located between Pauillac and Saint Estephe, separated by Chateau Lafite. We tasted the Cos d’Estournel 2008, which demonstrated the intersection of masculinity and elegance. We also tasted the Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2012, consisting of lychees and exotic fruit with tremendous minerality.

Chateau Pontet Canet-

 Appellation: Pauillac, Left Bank/ Classification: Grand Cru Classe

 

                Important to note: Pontet Canet hit another new stride in 2010 when they scored their second 100pt score two vintages in a row. Ranked as a Fifth Growth, Pontet Canet is producing wine as high of quality as the Super Seconds, and in some vintages the First Growths. They have recently just aligned their vineyard practices with biodynamic and organic farming. Officially certified, they are proud to claim using no pesticides, no machines, and only manual labor during harvest. We caught a glimpse of their estate’s horses trotting through the vineyards to massage their soils.

Chateau Clinet-

Appellation: Pomerol, Right Bank/ Classification: No Classification System in Pomerol

                Important to note: Chateau Clinet is one of the most prestigious wines of the Pomerol appellation. We had the pleasure to meet CEO Ronan Laborde, who has not only been an innovator at Chateau Clinet, but is pioneering a new segment of Pomerol’s wine industry. Starting with the small production of Chateau Clinet, the Merlot based wine leans on Cabernet Sauvignon as a higher percentage in its blend than Cabernet Franc, uncommon for Pomerol. Also uncommon, they incorporate barrels for aging using oak sourced outside of France. Ronan has also developed a second wine which is vinified and bottled eye distance from their flagship property which has tremendous quality at a fraction of the price: Ronan by Clinet. Here he sources 100% Merlot fruit from only a few selected quality producers, and uses only stainless steel- making this wine completely approachable and ready to drink now.

Chateau Barde Haut-

 Appellation: Saint Emilion, Right Bank/ Classification: Grand Cru

 

                Important to note: A good friend of Wine World, vineyard owner Helene Garcin welcomed us to her fabulous Barde Haut property which sparkled with sleek equipment and luxury style. She took our palates on a tour as she poured through several of her different properties 2004 vintages. Chateau Barde Haut of Saint Emilion, Chateau Haut Bergey of Pessac Leognan, and Chateau Clos l’Eglise of Pomerol (neighbors with Chateau Clinet and Eglise Clinet). One component that she and husband and winemaker Patrice’s properties share, is the consistent quality of fruit. Patrice says, “Wine is made from grapes, and should taste like fruit!” She also allowed us to tour her newest property, Chateau Poesia, which is a work in progress but already producing impressive quality wine. “This might be my 100pt wine,” says Patrice.

 

The Team Behind the Scenes

During my time spent at Hanzell Vineyards, I was able to learn from various members of the staff about what it takes to form a winery. Most of us know we need a winemaker, but there are many other positions that are very important for a successful, functioning winery.

Michael McNeill is the head Winemaker at Hanzell Vineyards. He has been there for only five years, but has already left his print on their wines. He started off his career being a chemist. He was later introduced to the art and science of winemaking and fell in love. This is definitely an industry that requires much chemistry, and I think everything fell into place for him after that. The duties of a winemaker don't only include that of winemaking, however, there is also a heavy public relations responsibility. McNeill is seen as the face of Hanzell. He does a lot of traveling, hosts many dinners at the winery, and is constantly being interviewed and photographed. So besides being a scientist and mathematician, one must also have great people skills for this position.

Lynda Hanson is the Associate Winemaker at Hanzell. She is McNeill's left hand woman. They function in a venn diagram format, where she has her duties, he has his, and they overlap each other when necessary. She takes care of day to day tasks like keeping track of when malolactic bacteria needs to be added, or when the barrels need to be topped off. She also manages the lab analysis. Lynda went to UC Davis and was the first woman to receive their internship to study wine in Burgundy. She has spent many years working in Bordeaux and Argentina. Lynda affectionately says that her favorite part of working harvest is the interns!

Jean Arnold-Sessions is the President of Hanzell Vineyards. She is married to Bob Sessions who was the winemaker there for over 30 years. She is a force to be reckoned with! She has a strong background in high end marketing and has been able to combine that with her work at Hanzell. I met with her last week to get some advice from such a strong, established female in the wine industry.

Jose Ramos is the Vineyard Manager at Hanzell. He has worked there for over 30 years, he lives on the property, and even has a vineyard planted in his honor. Jose has many different duties depending on which time of the year it is. In the beginning of the season, he is in charge of the pruning process. Pruning is one of the most important tasks because it determines how the vines will grow. He is also in charge of irrigation, manages the pickers during harvest, and overall maintenance of the vineyard.

Cesar Ramos is the son of Jose and is the Production Assistant. He works directly under Lynda and McNeill. They often joke that Cesar is their secret weapon, as he is always a step ahead of everyone else. Cesar grew up on the vineyard, or in a vine as we like to say. He oversees all aspects of winemaking, from vineyard sampling to harvest, from barrel to blending. He plays a large role at Hanzell and also assisted me greatly during my internship there.

Judy is the Director of Operations. Her role is a bit complex, because she sometimes has two jobs. When the owner of the estate, Aex DeBrye is in town from London, she acts as his liaison and personal property manager. While she is managing his personal estate, she is also managing Hanzell as a business. Her duties include human resources, property upkeep, overall maintenance, and hiring, as she reports directly to the President.

Jim is the Cellar Master at Hanzell Vineyards. He worked for Domain Chandon for 20 years and Domain Carneros for 10. He is a master of sparkling wine. He has also spent many years working harvest is Australia, where he recalls fondly his first and favorite harvest. Jim also lives on the property and finds himself wearing many different hats. He most often is maintaining the cellar and preparing wine for shipping. He plays a major role during harvest and lends a hand wherever it is needed.

Chris is the Director of Direct to Consumer Operations. Direct to Consumer is a huge part of our winery which encompasses tastings, club members, and online sales. Direct to Consumer relates to any sales in which there is no middle man or third party. Thus it is referring to the sales made from the winery straight to the consumer. Sales have changed drastically over the years, as long ago salespeople were hesitant to suggest a product for purchase whereas now we are openly trying to create new ways to make purchasing convenient for the buyer. Chris has experience in Restaurant and Hotel Management. Direct to Consumers is a booming part of wineries and requires experience in sales, business, and public relations.

As you can see, there is more to the function of a winery than solely winemaking. It requires many different team members to create a successful and authentic footprint in the industry. These positions represent the different roles in the estate, but there are also many other areas in the industry to consider in the three tier system such as distributing and retail. The world of wine is limitless and the beauty of it is that change is encouraged. There is much room for growth, and you can easily go from one area of the industry to another.

Week 9: All work and some play!

Winemaker Lynda Hanson draining Pinot tank

A big weight lifted from my shoulders as we drained our very last Pinot Noir tank and pressed its cap off the following morning. That was the last task on our winemaking agendas that needed to be completed in such a timely fashion. Some of the tanks went through a short maceration, where they spent a week or less in contact with their skins, and some went through a long maceration where they were with their skins for up to more than two weeks. The lenth of maceration depends on how each individual tank's contents are developing.

So as we are "wine"ding down at the winery, it is time to cross our t's and dot our i's on this 2012 vintage. There is still work to be done, of course... as the winery never sleeps. Currently we are topping off barrels, and will begin transferring Pinot to barrel soon. Topping off means adding more wine to each barrel, because since they are made of oak, wine evaporates through the wood and the level of wine decreases in each barrel, creating a gap between the wine and top of the barrel which would allow in oxygen- wine's worst enemy. Thus, we fill each barrel every so often to eliminate room for oxygen to enter.

With only a couple more weeks left for this experience, I suspect I will finally be having much more free time on my hands to enjoy the wonderful town of Sonoma. I have already managed to find a small amount of time to do some fun activities. One of the great things I got to do was drive around the coast and visit Anderson Valley with the cellar master at Hanzell. The view was beautiful and the roads were long and very windy. We also stopped at an apple orchard where I picked up some delicious apple balsamic, as well as some unique apple varieties.

At Cline Winery

Recently I met someone who worked in production at Cline. He invited me to spend a day touring their facilities, and I quickly followed up on the opportunity. Cline is very different from Hanzell, and I thought it was really interesting to compare and contrast to the two wineries. Cline has hundreds of tanks, whereas Hanzell as a total of 34. Cline produces a plethora of varietals, and Hanzell only produces two. Cline sources their grapes from different vineyards and different appellations in California, and everything at Hanzell is estate grown. There is a place for everyone in the market for wine, and both types of wineries are needed for the market to thrive. I was really pleased with my experience at Cline, and they even sent me home with a few bottles of their wine!

I also stopped in at Sebastiani Winery. I enjoyed a private tour and tasting, and also learned quite a bit about their winery. They were one of the only wineries in the country to have had a license to stay open during the Alcohol Prohibition. They were able to produce wine for medicinal and religious purposes. The Sebastiani family migrated from Italy, and has had three generations construct and add to their facilities. You can see the work from the original 1900's, and what has been changed and upgraded. They also produce much more wine than Hanzell, but the Sebastiani family is legendary in the history of Sonoma Valley wine.

One weekend, I even got to go visit my fellow intern Laura in her stomping grounds of UC Davis. Davis offers the best Viticulture and Enology Program in the entire country! It was amazing to see their facilities with buildings funded by big names like Mondavi and Busch. They also have their very own vineyard where they grow tons of different varietals. Walking through those rows was like being a kid in a candy store. Syrah? Pinot Grigio? Muscat? Sangiovese? They have it all! What an incredible outlet to learn about the winemaking process.

Week 7: Goodnight little grapes!

Alas, the grapes are all here! We were able to tuck each and everyone in and finally say goodnight, putting them to rest. Some were tucked into stainless steel tanks, some were tucked into barrels. The grueling three week harvest has come to an end.

Pumping wine from tank to barrels

All of the tanks have been inoculated and are pretty close to being a finished wine. The Pinot Noir tanks are already at -2 Brix, which means they are a completed dry wine, and the yeast has done its job of consuming the sugars. The Chardonnay still has some work to do, as those were the last grapes we picked so they have not yet completed fermentation. As each tank of Pinot was deemed finished, we put lids on them, sealing them up so the wine does not have contact with oxygen. Each morning we take a nitrogen machine and pump nitrogen into the tanks, pushing out any oxygen.

Laura and I with our tanquette of rose

During the Pinot Noir harvest, a large amount of juice was being released from the grapes onto the sorting table, which was caught into buckets. With the permission from the winery, Laura (the other intern who studies viticulture and enology at UC Davis) and I were able to create our very own wine, a rosé! A rosé can be the juice collected from red wine grapes such as Pinot Noir. The reason the wine made from Pinot Noir is so dark is because of the time is spends in contact with its skins. Since this juice was collected at the sorting table, it had a limited maceration, thus making it the perfect candidate for a rosé! Rosé wines are light in body, have a beautiful pink hue, and are often sweet. We chose the yeast, inoculated the juice, and have been keeping a close eye on it throughout fermentation. It is being kept in a small, 60 gallon stainless steel "tanquette". The rosé will not be for sale, but we will have about 30 cases of it after it is bottled for our own consumption and sharing! A rosé made from Hanzell Pinot Noir... not too shabby for an intern!

To celebrate the end of Harvest, we had a huge dinner with everyone from the production staff and vineyard office. It was so great to look back on the hundreds of hours of hard work and say "we did it"! The winemaker gave Laura and I a very nice toast, and made us feel really appreciated. Now that the hardest part is over, I will still be here for one more month to continue the winemaking process.



If the grapes are in, what's next, one may ask. Well, there is still a lot to do. This wine isn't going to make itself, after all. The next step is transferring wine from tank to barrel. For the Pinot Noir, once it has gone dry, (hit -2 Brix), we drain the juice from the tanks and press off the pummus. Remember that Pinot Noir goes through maceration, so all of it's skins are inside those tanks. We put the cap of skins inside the same press which we use for Chardonnay. This wine is considered "press wine" and has a bit of a gritty texture and is more tannic in taste but will eventually be racked off and used in the final blending.

Speaking of final blending... Although I was not technically a part of the Hanzell 2011 Harvest, I am sort of a part of the final blend. Now that the wine has been in barrel for a year, the winemakers are  analyzing the different barrels to determine which ones will be in their Ambassador's Blend. The Ambassador's Blend is a wine produced from a single vineyard, and at Hanzell we have five, so this makes the choice difficult. But once the winemakers choose which vineyard they want to use, next they have to go through each barrel, determining which nose and taste they prefer so they can decide which percent of each they want in the blend. I was very pleased to be a part of the tasting panel. This is a really interesting experience, which I sometimes have mixed emotions about. I am very excited and grateful to be a part of the process, but it also is a bit stressful and mentally and sensory exhausting. It is amazing to examine the differences in the wine that each barrel cooper makes. One would smell of tropical fruits and pina colladas, while the next would smell of butterscotch and kettle corn. During these tastings, not only do we discuss the sensory effects like aroma and taste but also more specifically how the samples feel across your palate: entry, mid palate, texture, structure, body and finish. Tasting six wines usually takes about two hours, so one can imagine how detailed these tastings can become.

I also got to add a new assignment to my lab work; measuring the level of alcohol in our wines. I thought this was really interesting because I have always been curious as a consumer about the mysterious "14%" or "13.5%" on my wine bottles. At Hanzell, which has the second oldest lab still in use in the entire country, we use an ebulliometer.

Here is the process for measuring the level of alcohol:
First I ignite a wick at the bottom of the contraption and place my sample in and cover it with a thermometer, filling the small chamber with cold distilled water. I let the sample heat until I have its boiling point. The first sample I run is with water, because I need the boiling point of H2O in order to calculate and converge the boiling point of wine into the percentage of alcohol.  This must be done several times in between wine samples because the boiling point of water is constantly changing due to atmospheric changes. This has soon become my favorite lab work, earning me the title of "Alcohol Queen"!

Winemaking is truly a juggling act. When one difficult task such as harvesting grapes is complete, there are 10 more things that need to be added to your plate. It is a job that encompasses chemistry, mathematics, people skills, physical labor, agriculture, sensory analysis and so much more. Take a moment and let your mind wonder what hard work went into your next glass of wine. Cheers!

Tasting through 24 tanks of fermenting Pinot Noir

Week 5: Tales from the 100hr work week

One thing is for sure, my professors were not joking when they insisted that harvest was tough work! I feel kind of like a doctor: always working and always on call. One may refer to me as a wine-doctor, if you will. Collecting grapes as patients- setting them up into tanks rather than medical beds, using a winery instead of a hospital, giving them nutrients, diagnosing them with analysis, keeping track of their sugar level, even writing prescriptions for what they need to make them better...

Last week we began harvest by picking certain blocks of Chardonnay. This week, we continued to pick Chardonnay, but also introduced Pinot Noir to the party. I felt a bit differently picking Pinot Noir, perhaps it is because of my distinct affection for red wine. I felt a certain obligation to inspect each cluster that passed over the sorting table, keeping a close eye for botrytis (rot), raisining grapes, and debris.

Cluster in later stages of botrytis

The process for Pinot Noir production differs from that of Chardonnay. In the case for a red wine grape such as Pinot, rather than crushing the grape, one must separate the grapes and their stems in what is referred to as a destemmer. The grapes fall into a 1-ton tank, and are guarded with dry ice (carbon dioxide) which helps prevent the juice from oxidizing and also keeps it cool. The grapes then remain in their tanks for six months to one year until the winemaker deems they should be transferred to barrel. For fermentation, we inoculate the juice with yeast nutrient and the selected yeasts. Right now we have 24 tanks of Pinot Noir (16 of which hold 1 ton and 8 which hold 2.5 tons). This is the most Pinot Noir Hanzell Vineyards has ever received, totalling at 35 tons.

There are five vineyards at Hanzell, and within those five vineyards, the rows are separated into blocks, or sections. They are separated because there are distinguishable differences in ripening tendencies, flavor profile, rootstock, or year they were planted. They differ drastically even from one row to the next. Each row is also picked separately and tanked separately. This is where the winemaker really shines, as he is able to show his personality when he creates the final blending of all of the blocks and vineyards.

In my last post I discussed the production of Chardonnay. To recap, Chardonnay is crushed, and then pressed with a bladder filled with air which pushes the grapes onto the sides of the machine, releasing it's juices and discarding the pumace (stems and skins). For red wine, we leave the grapes intact because they must go through maceration, or the period of time which grape juice spends in contact with its skins. The Pinot Noir goes through its fermentation in the tanks with its skins, and the Chardonnay is inoculated and moved to barrel, although some of the blocks stay in stainless steel. This depends on whether the grapes are going to Hanzell's main estate label (has longevity and meant for aging) or "Sebella," their second label, which features a wine that is more fruit forward and meant for younger drinking.

At this point, we have inoculated the Chardonnay that we have in tanks with yeasts and the process of fermentation has begun for them. During this period, I must take the Brix (level of sugar) several times a day on each tank. I also need to run tests on their pH levels and TA (titratable acidity). It is very common that the grapes release their natural tartaric acid during the crushing process, thus we need to run these analysis to determine the quantity of acid that needs to be added back into the juice. During fermentation, the level of sugars drop drastically and quickly. This is because throughout this process, the yeasts are consuming the sugars and creating ethanol, or alcohol, and carbon dioxide.

I have really had my work cut out for me with these Pinot Noir grapes. They require "punch downs," which refers to the use of a long, stainless steel paddle that pushes through the grapes to get them all equally mixed. Thus all of the juice is in equal contact with the skins and also the liquid has an equal climate since the stainless steel jackets surrounding each tank are what controls the temperature. This is not officially considered a punch down until the juice is inoculated with yeast. Depending on which point of fermentation we are at, this will need to be done numerous times a day. Simultaneously, it is a great work out for my arms.


We have just completed our second week of harvest, but we aren't done yet. We still have a few more blocks of Chardonnay that need to be picked, which will be completed within the next few days. But just because the grapes are in, does not mean the hard work stops... It has just begun! I have been working seven days a week, 15 hours a day. Being a wine-doctor is no joke (although it is tons of fun!). Everyday I learn something (many things, actually). As this experience progresses, so do the steps in winemaking. Wine is a living, breathing, talking thing (literally, you should hear the sounds it makes while fermenting).

                                                                                          Cheers!

 

Week 4: Happy Harvesting!

This week I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning tearing open my gifts with wide eyes and a happy grin... but only instead of Christmas it was harvest, and instead of presents I got grapes!

Now the fun (and by fun I mean work!) has really started. The moment we have all been waiting for: harvest! The weeks leading up until now have been all about preparing the winery for this time.

So here is how harvest works:

We arrive at the winery around 5 or 6am to see the crew in the selected vineyards picking the grapes. There is a lot of traffic- with cars, fork lifts, and tractors all dancing around each other to get the grapes from the field up to the winery. Bin by bin, the luscious Chardonnay grapes get poured onto a "sorting table". On the sorting table a few of us touch every single grape, picking out anything that does not look "good enough to eat," as the winemaker says. I enjoy the conversation that takes place during the many hours we spend here. We take out leaves, branches, pruning grapes, rotting grapes, etc. This truly is hand selected fruit, which not every winery does. From there, the grapes that make the cut go into the "crusher" and come running down a slide until they fall into a small tank, or tanquito as we call them.

Grapes being poured into press

The fork lift then lifts the small tank and dumps all of its contents into the "press". The press has a bladder on the inside which fills with air, pressing the grapes onto its sides, squeezing out all of that delicious juice. There are huge hoses attached to the press, so the juice instantly is sent over to a large stainless steel fermentation tank. But before the juice is sent to the tank, it must pass through a
screen which catches any seeds or skins from going into the tank. We have been processing anywhere from 9 to 15 tons per day!

McNeil, the winemaker, says "winemaking is all about making messes and then cleaning them up"! And boy, was he right! It takes longer to clean and sanitize after the picking of the grapes than this whole process. They like the winery to be very clean, and there cannot be a single grape left on the ground. After 15 tons, that's a difficult task!

With Bob Sessions, legendary
 winemaker for over 30 years

In addition to our new set of responsibilities with harvesting the grapes, I still need to do my other daily responsibilities, like vineyard sampling. I need to continue to sample grapes from other areas of the different vineyards on the estate so the winemakers can determine what is ready to be picked next. This greatly depends on the climate. The weather has been fluctuating a bit, going from very cool to a few days of pretty high heat. This is important to consider because higher heat climates mean that the sugars will rise in the grapes. And when the sugars rise to where the winemaker wants them, around 22 Brix (measurement of sugar in grapes), the grapes are ready to be picked. But when it cools down, the grapes return to their natural stages of ripening. I never knew I would ever be so interested in the weather!

Picture of juice coming out of press
before going into tanks

So the length of harvest varies depending on which parts of the vineyards are ready to be picked and when. Not all of the grapes will be ready at the same time, or even the same week. And we encourage them to take their time. No need to rush to the party, we want them to get ready and maybe even put some lipstick on. Typically we pick Chardonnay first and then Pinot Noir, because we want slightly higher sugars in the Pinot Noir grapes.

Everyday is really a surprise. The winemakers determine the picking schedule literally the day before, so I just need to be ready to be there at all times. This week I worked 6 days and 60 hours! And loved every minute of it (except the part where I have to clean drains).

                                                               Happy Harvesting everyone!