Cabernet clusters
The fruit in the vineyard was amazing! There really is something to be said for walking through a vineyard, whether it be Pinot, Chardonnay, or Cabernet and being able to eat the fruit right off the vine. (And actually having a legitimate reason for doing so!) Despite it's characteristics, we later determined the fruit isn't quite ready for picking. We'll have it hang a bit longer to completely ripen.
After a busy day of crushing on Saturday (yes, another long 13+ hour day) I was able to take the day off today so I headed up to Santa Rosa to visit with Russell Bevan. I was fortunate to meet Russell in June at a dinner in San Francisco and I promised to catch up to him when I was out here for my internship. Russell makes wine for his own label, Bevan Cellars, as well as doing consulting work for clients.
I headed to Santa Rosa around noon and while on my way, Russell called me and told me not to eat lunch because they were planning in grilling burgers at the winery and I was invited to have lunch with the crew. "How sweet" I thought to myself. Little did I know Russell had other plans in store for me to earn my keep.
After lunch Russell told me he needed to press a tank of Syrah and he asked me how much experience I had cleaning tanks. Since we only work with MacroBins at A.P. Vin my answer was simple..."not much." That was soon about to change.
Me and Russell...getting dirty!
The Syrah tank
So, we first drained the free-run juice from the tank directly into the barrels and then it was time to shovel the remaining must from the tank into bins to transfer to the basket press. Once the tank door is opened the must doesn't just pour out into the bin, you must go in after it. So, after removing my shoes and socks and rolling up my jeans, my feet and legs were sanitized and then in I went.
Shoveling out the must...
right through the door and into the bin.
After I finished in the tank we had to wait for the press to be prepped so Russell told me we could taste some of his wines. "Yeah!" I thought. This is what I had really planned for. Then he asked me if I had experience climbing barrels. "Huh? Now what do you have in store for me?" I later learned. After a brief demonstration, I was pretty much told that if I wanted a drink...I had to get it myself! :)
So, with a siphon tube in my teeth I headed up, barrel after barrel to gather some Merlot in my glass. Let me just say, it was one of the best Merlots I have tasted in quite some time and I can't wait to get a bottle (or 2) of my own.
climbing barrels
My adventures today weren't at all what I expected to be doing but it was definitely a great experience. Russell has a wealth of knowledge and it was so great to be able to spend a few hours with him to get a different prospective on things. He is a wonderful person with a great sense of humor and is so great at his craft. Thank you Russell for the fabulous day and I can't wait to do it all over again!
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