Long Hot Days

Well, we are into it now. We have brought in fruit three of the last four days with more to come Sunday and Monday. The weather has been screaming hot. By early afternoon, drinking water becomes a major priority. I have a mean redneck working!

The last couple nights Eric and I met a custom crush client (someone who hires the winery to make them their wine) and worked out some details concerning his wine. Being at the winery at night is very very cool. It is pretty serene to look skyward past the redwoods at all of the stars in the cooling night. Then reality hits and you realize that it's pretty tricky operating a forklift in the dark loading a truck full of picking bins for the following morning's fruit.

One night (I forget which) I walked up the adjoining hill to the winery and for the first time checked out the new vineyard the Freeman's have planted. In a few years, the winery will have estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - I'm sure they are very excited about that for several reasons.

Anyway, yesterday (Friday) we took advantage of the fact that no fruit was coming in and emptied out half of the cave and then power washed it. We have been moving barrels around like crazy. At 120 lbs per empty barrel, it's significant work. Of course, once the cleaning is done the barrels all go back into the cave.