Harvest 2011: Done.

It’s hard to know where to start wrapping something like this up—and it certainly can’t be done in one post. My life was changed, this I know, and I have what feels like a years’ worth of personal, mental debriefing to do.

[A post-fermentation pH testing.]

9 weeks flew by in a wash of 70-hour weeks, in a frenzied attempt to dig our way to daylight. With a firm crew of 3, accented with an occasional and lifesaving 4th, we processed over 180 tons of fruit—almost twice what was done in 2010. All this in the wake of one of the most difficult harvests in decades.

[Brut Rose on the plate. My high school chemistry classes came flooding back...well, not really, but I'm a quick re-learner.]

Much of the 2011 growing season was cold and wet, the fruit remained hanging as long and late as possible in a desperate attempt to boost ripeness and sugar levels before mold and rot had the pickers racing to get it in. The majority of the fruit came in clean, showing great flavor development despite low sugar levels, and green seeds and stems. Acid levels were good and great wine will be made.

[From left to right: Brut Rose (for sparkling wine), white Pinot, Blanc de Noir (sparkling #2), Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer. Fermentation is complete.]

Much of the time I felt like I was clinging to the wing of an airplane in rubber boots with a big grin on my face and Kings of Leon playing in my ears. At least that is my perception now—and just the way I want it. I was looking back on some of the emails that led up to my trip to Oregon, one in particular was in response to questions regarding what I should expect:

As for the work itself, it’s dirty, repetitive, and requires a lot of cleaning (if you’ve worked construction, you’ll be fine). There’s really nothing glamorous about it, save the ultimate outcome—awesome, delicious wine to bring joy to the heart of man and the esteem and honor of knowing you worked your butt off. You will most likely experience one, if not all, of the following:

- Blisters (yes)
- Sunburn (sadly, no)
- Stings/Bug Bites (a few close calls)
- Fatigue (without say)
- Stiff, sore muscles (obviously)
- Foot fungus (did ok on that one)
- Purple-stained hands (oh, hell yes)
- Weight loss (on paper, there should have been)
- Perpetually wet and filthy clothing (wholly unprepared for this one)
- Brief hopelessness and despair (a few concerning eye twitches)

And on the upside:

- Hands-on winery experience (check)
- Camaraderie and connections
- Getting buff from all those punchdowns
- Really good food
- Lots of beer
- A huge sense of accomplishment
- Spending time in wine country!

Well said, Shani, I owe you one! And bollocks to the emails that told me I’d get through it and never want to do it again!

[Each sample is vigorously shaken to drive out any remaining CO2 that will skew pH results. Shake, release gas, shake release gas, repeat until flat. Heating is a more exact way of prepping a gas-free sample, but time was not on my side.]

[Barrel filling, the final step of what I was involved in. It was an amazing feeling to introduce the Pinot Noir to its new home for the next year or two. Once in barrel, the wine will undergo its secondary malolactic fermentation---a bacterial fermentation where the edgy, tart malic acid is converted into a softer, fuller, more approachable lactic acid.]

[Did you know that if left unattended, either purposefully or during an unintentional and brief moment of distraction caused by extreme sleepiness, once full, the wine will literally blast from the bung hole like a geyser raining down on the concrete floor in a heart-stopping splash that should never to be heard in a winery?]

[Our first hurdle was getting the grapes into WF1, see here, the second was getting them out. Deep, dark and CO2 rich, hmmm. Not an ideal life sustaining environment.]

[Tiny dorm room fan not adequate for lifesaving air supply. Big ass fan en route. Better stay on deck, Michael!]

[Once over 2000 gallons of wine was pumped out, Michael was left to deal with a shit load of grapes, which will soon be pressed in what was our final press load.]

[A deserved toast. With the final press load complete, the end is in sight. At this point the wine has no place to go but into barrel.]

[The numbers were in. My guess was 175 tons. I was close, but JD announced that we managed to process over 180 tons. This was a surreal moment. From left to right: Destiny (national sales guru), JD (owner extraordinaire), Erin (purse strings), Max (intern/master barrel cleaner), Rob, Michael (winemaker/plate spinner), Ulises (the keystone and mvp of 2011).]

More to come! I miss the WCW crew immensely; they became family to me.

-Rob.