The 2018 harvest is about to start and Mother Nature has decided she is not going to be easy or timid – she wants to start with a bang!
The grapes have been ripening in what most farmers are calling an “average” harvest this year. The number of degree days is slightly behind delaying harvest, but not in our vineyards – everything wants to ripen at the same time.
This Friday we are starting off with 4 Tons of Sonoma Zinfandel as a collaborative effort with Noble Hearts Cellars; a charity organization raising money to support Angel Flights. Angel Flight is a non-profit organization whose members provide free air transportation for passengers in need of medical treatment far from home.
But Mother Nature has more in store for us – we will probably be harvesting 5 tons of Grenache, 5 tons of Syrah and 5 tons of Merlot all from Paso Robles next week. This means 3 back to back trips to fetch the fruit and process it and 20 tons of fermenting fruit.
Soon the winery will be filled with the aromas of fresh berries, fermentation, and wine. If you have never been to a winery during harvest, it is something special that you can’t miss. It gets busy, it gets crazy and it is something magical watching the fruit turn into wine. When you stop over the next few weeks, you will see vats of fermenting wine, piles of pomace, and barrels upon barrels of baby wine and lots of activities.
Come see and learn how wine goes from fruit to wine – you will never look at a glass of wine the same.
Cheers,
P.S. Please do not bring in pets during harvest (even if they are super cute)