Harvest

Our first harvest was a definite learning curve but all in all, it went very well.  We weren’t altogether sure what to expect but we had a lot of help from our experienced picking crew and “swampers”, the folks who went around and collected the bins full of grapes and brought them back to the winery for crushing. 

The grape volumes were down a bit in the whites (Bacchus and Pinot Gris) due to the long cold spring which negatively impacted the fruit-set.  Fortunately, our long, hot summer helped with ripening and sugars.  We were lucky to get everything picked before the monsoon-like October rains started and I ended up with only one wasp sting, while managing the press which was a popular spot for those unpleasant pests.  Many thanks to Zac’s dad – Chris, Frank, Cody and the swampers, and Surinder and the picking team who made our harvest go so smoothly.