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Uncategorized, Wine Education

Crushing on Grapes – Part One

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As I type this post we are anticipating the arrival of our Syrah grapes in a few hours. Life has not been short on things to do around here since our Riesling grapes arrived! As glamorous as having a winery might sound I can assure you there are many unglamorous moments – like bee stings that make your hand unrecognizable, back spasms that mirror Michael Jackson dance moves, leg cramps in the middle of the night that make your wife think you’re having a heart attack and grape juice that has started fermenting in your ear.

With those mental images painted, I’m much more excited to bring you the beautiful side of winemaking. These pictures capture a bit of the charm that keeps us engaged in this whole journey. I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for Part Two next week when I show you the Syrah crush and how to run from bees without twisting your ankle.

Riesling Arrival

Riesling arrival
Each grape bin has roughly 1200 lbs of grapes.

Arrival2

Arrival3

The Crush

Snapping a good picture in mid-day sun is unlikely. Had I been standing on the right side of the crusher/destemmer to avoid a shadow I would have been standing in grape juice.
Snapping a good picture in mid-day sun is unlikely. Had I been standing on the right side of the crusher/destemmer to avoid a shadow I would have been standing in grape juice.
Coming out of the crusher/destemmer and into bins for pressing.
Coming out of the crusher/destemmer and into bins for pressing.
This is what halfway through one grape bin looks like. Part grapes, part juice.
This is what halfway through one grape bin looks like. Part grapes, part juice.
Leftover stems and grape skins the destemmer spits out.
Leftover stems and grape skins the destemmer spits out.

The Press

This is where the juice and grape skins get completely separated, in the case of white wine.
This is where the juice and grape skins get completely separated, in the case of white wine.
The sweet, sweet grape nectar that will eventually become fermented perfection in a bottle.
The sweet, sweet grape nectar that will eventually become fermented perfection in a bottle.