That’s right, folks. Harvest — though it completely caught us all with our pants down, scampering for the bushes — is around half over. With hundreds of tons of grapes already processed in the first weeks of September (and most of that tonnage already turned into wine), picking has been ramping back up again and the winery is getting slammed with fruit deliveries. When I left work on Wednesday, around 10 tons (that’s 20 barrels, or 6000 bottles) of Cabernet had already been delivered. As I understood it, a few more truckloads would arrive before nights end.
If that sounds like a lot to process in a day or two, consider that the first week and a half of September — you know, when the pants were around the ankles — we received 225 tons worth of grapes. THAT’S A LOT OF GRAPE JUICE. And have I mentioned we make 900 DIFFERENT wines? And that those 225 tons were about a THIRD of the total tonnage we’ll receive?
Anyway, with harvest back in full swing again, CrushCamps are back too, and I’ve found great joy in teaching other people about winemaking. Folks show up so bright eyed and bushy tailed, truly interested in what we do and more than willing to ask lots of questions, and that’s awesome. I love hearing people say that they had a great time and learned a whole lot, and better yet, that they can’t wait to come back and get more involved with wine.
For me, too, the learning curve there has just been exponential, and as I come home and report my days to Joe, I can’t even believe how much knowledge I’ve had to stuff into my brain over the course of a month. If you ever need someone to explain cap management to you, I’m your gal.
I’m especially excited for Camps over the next few weeks, as I’ve graciously been allowed to invite a few friends and family members to join us down there and see what’s shakin’ this harvest. It’s rare that any of my family or friends get to see me in any kind of “work” capacity, but I enjoy it when it happens because more than anything, I’m passionate about what I do and I hope that it shows.
That, and I figure if my loved ones see that I’m good at what I do and I’m really happy doing it, all the raised eyebrows at my zany career choices and the twists and turns of the past year will be quieted.
At least a little bit.
