The fun begins!

Grapes finally started arriving Monday morning; 1.5 tons of Chardonnay, 2 tons of Cabernet and 3 tons of Syrah. Since this would be the only day we were getting any grapes this week, time was on our side. We decided to hand sort the Chardonnay, which came in with alot of bird damage and noble rot. Steve likes to keep some of the "raisinated" grapes in the mix with the perfectly ripe grapes as they really intensify the flavors so our job was slightly easier. The Chardonnay was to sit overnight in the cellar room so we added an enzyme to start breaking down the skins to add more flavor when we crush then Tuesday. After that was finished, it was time to de-stem all of the reds. The destemmer works like this; grapes go into the auguer (the metal bin up high) and then all down into the destemmer. Most of the large stems are removed and as you can see in the pictures below, the other little stems are fished out as the grapes settle into the bins. You can either crush the grapes after they are destemmed or you can let them sit in the bins for a few days with another type of enzyme to extract color from the skins and some sulfur to keep them from oxidizing. Again, as we have the time, we are letting them sit for a few days. This batch of grapes came from an area of California that isn't known for growing grapes. In fact this is the first commercial vineyard in Walnut Creek and Steve Reynolds has decided to help make the wine for the guy who owns the vineyard. If you see any wine in the market from Kalkoven Vineyards, that's the wine I've been stompin! Hope everyone had a great weekend. I went into the city Sunday to see the Dodgers and Giants (Giants won 7-2) and to eat some Thai food. Ciao~

Yay it's Saturday

Hello all,

The weekend is here and I actually have Saturday and Sunday off! I think as the grapes start coming in more frequently that won't be the case. Thursday and Friday at the winery consisted of cleaning the 10 stainless steel fermentation tanks they use during crush as well as the grape press. As you see in the first picture, this is where the grapes go as soon as they get to the winery. Everything is crushed as soon as it arrives; the grapes will continue to ripen and the sugar level will change even after they are picked. Most grapes are picked either before 10am or after 6pm. That is when you will get an accurate reading of the brix(sugar levels) and ph(acidity) of the grape. That is generally what most winemakers rely on to determine when to pick their crop. As a side project, I also participated in the annual "painting of the barrels". A new batch of French Oak Barrels arrived on Thursday and RFW paints the barrels with old wine they have sent off and made into a special paint! Have a great weekend and look for more posts as the grapes start arriving!

Blending 101

So today I really got to get my feet wet (literally) and started to work with some of the equipment we will be using as soon as grapes start coming in, which will be Thursday of this week! Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc will be first and then probably some Syrah. We tested samples of Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet yesterday for their brix (sugar) levels and for the ph (acidity). Most wineries are pretty strict about brix levels and then more relaxed about acidity levels while Reynolds Family is just the opposite. Acidity is harder to balance, you can always add sugar or water if the brix level needs adjusting. I will be doing alot of those tests as the grapes start arriving, we have to have a reading on each batch. BTW, in case you didn't know, Chardonnay grapes don't really taste like Chardonnay just off the vine. To the most discerning palate, they could probably taste some flavors present but to most of us, they are just yummy! Ciao~

Work has begun!

Hello all,

Hope you had a great Labor Day this past weekend! I enjoyed a little more time with family before things started getting crazy around the winery. Went into SF again to check out an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art then ate at a fantastic tapas place called Samovar. Tea restaurants are a big thing out here and Samovar must have had 50 types of tea you could order. Monday was the first day I rode to the winery. Not a bad ride, hard to complain when the weather is always beautiful and you are enjoying the views I get to on the way there. There is a day coming when I complain about having to bike home after a long day! All worth it for the experience. Enjoy your day! Ciao~

A photo album to view

Here is a link to photo's I have taken so far. Haven't been able to figure out how to load multiple pictures on the blog so I figure using this website is easier. Today's work consisted of cleaning out multiple flowerbeds. At least it was a beautiful day, finally cooling off to average tempatures. Ciao~

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stompingrapes/

Meet and Greet Day!

Today was the first day at the Winery, fairly easy I must say. Took a tour of the place, met Steve Reynolds (owner/winemaker), Arturo (assistant winemaker) and the rest of the crew. No grapes coming in yet so everyone is prepping for next week. Going to start some heavy duty cleaning and orginizing tommorow, getting familiar with the equipment and learning how to operate a forklift an off road vehicle. Enjoy the weekend, I know the weather has been nice there! Hot and humid here.... but I love it already! Ciao~

The Arrival!

Hello to everyone! I am officially a California girl, arriving late Monday night safe and sound after a long day of travelling. Getting settled in, visiting relatives for a few days then it's off to work on Thursday. Grapes haven't starting arriving yet so there is much prep work to do, meet and greet everyone there and maybe get out in the vineyards to start tasting some grapes! Spent the day in San Francisco on Tuesday, walked about ten miles and saw about a quarter of the city. It is a beautiful place, lots to see and do and some very interesting characters! Hope everyone is well and enjoying the cooler weather! Ciao~