Grape harvest

[deborahjross]

We have a tiny vineyard on our property: 26 syrah vines. Rain forced an early harvest this year, so the grapes were not quite ready. davetrow wasn't sure of the benefit of leaving them longer, since they aren't getting much sun now.

So, yesterday afternoon, we both went out to the vineyard. davetrow turned off the electrified fence (raccoons) and stripped off the bird netting (birds and squirrels), while I clipped off grape clusters. There had been some loss/damage from the raccoons, but not as much as in earlier years. Some bunches were just wonderful, dusky purple, heavy and sensual in the hand. It was afternoon, and the sun slanted through the yellowing leaves. Commercial vineyards pick only perfect clusters, but for us, this is a labor of love, so I grabbed any cluster than had even a few good grapes.

Then we hauled the buckets to the porch, where we sat and sorted, pulling off immature, split, moldy and dried grapes. The sun went down and the temperature fell. Our backs ached. We kept at it, because the grapes couldn't be left as is, fodder for wild yeasties. We ended up with 65 pounds of grapes -- which makes us the most micro of micro-vineyards.

We set up the crusher-destemmer leased from a local brewer's-supply place and treated ourselves to Chinese take-out. Thendavetrow went to work turning a pile of recognizable grapes into a vat of grape pulp/skin/juice mush. Added stuff to kill the bad microbes, will inoculate with good-wine yeasties. He'll do other things to the mush. And in 2 years, if all goes well, we'll have wine.

Isn't that amazing?

Comments

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I hope you get to enjoy some nice wine eventually... :)

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Me, too, although I find I'm pickier all the time -- not just about the taste of the wine but the effects of alcohol. I get to drink less and less before "I don't like this" sets in. Sigh.