At Last….. 2006 Harvest

Finally. After what seems like two months of waiting (wait a minute – it HAS been two months!), the 2006 harvest is finally starting to roll in.

We picked Merlot last weekend, and the Cab is next.

It took forever for the berries to ripen this year. We had a cool, rainy September and October – which is highly unusual for this part of the country. The grapes just hung there, luscious and purple, but the seeds were still green and at one point the brix readings were actually dropping.

Crazy. But then, this is farming.

The Merlot, when we finally brought it in, looked great, and tasted even better. It’s all crushed and being pumped-over as we speak.

Whew. At least the weather isn’t a factor any more. We could screw up the wine, someone could leave a valve open by accident, there could be a fire.

But for now, all that Merlot is safe – cradled in a stainless steel tank, fermenting away.

Harvest is like having a baby. It’s hard, and then it fades from memory, and then it all comes back in a rush. The sight of berries in picking bins. The sound of the crusher/destemmer. The smell of the must. The feeling of all your arm hairs stuck together. The yellowjackets. That first ice-cold beer at the end of the day. Standing in the shower at night and watching grape juice run down the drain.

I love it.

This weekend we’re going after the Cab…..