Harvest is in FULL swing!!!

about 80% of  our fruit has come into the winery thus far!  

We are having a bit of a deluge from mother nature at the moment...  so the rest will come in next week... 

- I'm at the winery now as I type this - I'm gonna head home soon -- it's very early tonight I'm gonna be home by 11pm I think!!  sadly Brian will stay on  ... the days  have been very long starting at 6:30 and running into the wee hours of the morning... but it's go time ... it's a very intense time of year .. but this is when it all happens and everybody has to bring there a-game... : )  

these first photos are what I like to call grape-porn of the beautiful fruit as it rolls in ... I always take a deep breath as I see it I'm filled with excitement, anticipation and the gravity of it all knowing the financial investment, all the work that went into that fruit and all the work about to be poured out to make it into wine... 

 

 

This walnut was in one of the Wirtz Vineyard grape bins -- I liked it given this years label on the '11 Wirtz .. kind of full circle...

 

 

after the fruit sorting ... (that's Peter part of our great crew this year)

 there's the fermenting, checking, pumpin', punchin' and Katie's favorite the stompin'!!  

(pressing and barreling down photos next)

 

 

This is my favorite thing to do this is punching down... : )   

 

Katie and Elaine (thanks for the beautiful lunch!!) 

 

katie is back for her third harvest with her indomitable spirit - I loved this photo it shows who she is... !!