Harvest Update

On Monday morning every winemaker in Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino looked anxiously looked out their window at 6 AM and let out a collective sigh (that much hot air has been known to change climates!) because for the first time in two weeks we had a foggy morning.

And not just a foggy morning, but here in the valley, a really foggy, you have to use windshield wipers, type morning.

After bringing in fruit at an insane clip– I was quite literally about to go pick up large trashcans from Home Depot because I was running out of space– the fog meant a brief breather.  The last few days have been langoriously foggy and cool.  Out at Hudson, Old Lakeville, Wildcat Mountain, Glenlyon, Bald Mountain, and Kick Ranch, the Syrah vines have been given a break from their rapid transevaporative activity, allowing them a deep and refreshing drink of water from the maritime layer provided by mother nature and the drip irrigators installed by more humble beings.

At the winery, the results of the heat wave are in the fermenter.  Like last year, the east block of Pinot at Josh’s took a few days to take, and then the wild yeasts took off like a shot.  8 days later, the wine finished, was pressed, and now awaits barreling down tomorrow morning.

Kick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc also took a while to get going with the native yeasts but is now percolating away…

Lorenzo’s Heirloom Wine– a coferment of 50% Zinfandel, and 25% each Carignane and Petite Sirah– is at 7 brix as of this morning, and is finishing strong.

On Tuesday, we brought in Bedrock Carignane, Syrah, Barbera, and Merlot.  In the three ton open-top, one ton each of Syrah, Barbera, and Carignane are being cofermented together.  The Merlot, destined for the Bedrock Cab blend, and the remaining ton of 120 year old vine Carignane, each have their own fermenter.

And that is that– a lot of grapes all in about a week.

Be like me, pray for cool weather, give the Syrah and Cabernet some hangtime to get their flavors in balance, and then hope the rain does not come…