The alignment of cool weather leading to later-than-average harvest timeframes and me getting back on my feet again after 8 weeks in a cast, has allowed me to kick off my own small lot wine-making projects that I thought were going to be delayed a year.  I’m giddy with excitement.

Thanks to some connections in the Pinot world, I was able to harvest a very small lot (only a half ton) of fruit from the Sonoma Coast – 2 different vineyards – yesterday, October 1st.  We couldn’t be more excited with this fruit as one vineyard (a clonal field blend of 828, 115, and 667) brings in good acidic backbone due to the slow growing, cooler climate (picked at only 22°), while the other is bringing more ripeness, flavor and structure.

The wife and I are super excited to be embarking on this venture together and this year I am also teaming up with good friend, Steven Washuta, assistant winemaker of Old World Winery, to oversee these projects together.

We are still looking into 1 or 2 other sources (Pinot Noir) for another ton or two – perhaps Russian River Valley and/or Anderson Valley?  If you know if anyone, let me know.

While the wine country in 2011 has started with a cool spring / early summer as well as some late rains, leading to concerns of mildew and shattering, fear not, there is never a doubt that this will be the Best. Vintage. Ever. Is there ever any doubt?  Really.  Unfortunately, I may have just put harvest in jeopardy for me personally due to a freakish injury I sustained at last week’s softball game.  Plans to make a couple barrels of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay may never come to fruition for 2011 due to such heavy reliance on a right foot.

Yes, the foot that presses the gas and the brake of a vehicle that is to transport me from the boonies south of Napa to the far reaches of wine country.  The foot that accompanies the other one on the left to aid in walking, standing, bearing weight necessary to walk vineyards, check fruit, move equipment, climb sorting tables, punchdown caps and other general winery duties as necessary.

Fear not, the dream continues.  With all the great things that have happened in our lives over the past year due to hard work and a little luck, it’s always humbling to deal with some bad with all the good.  I just wish it wasn’t THIS bad.  Injuries to this area of the foot are rare evidently and generally seen most in car and motorcycle wrecks.  All I was doing was rounding first base for cripes sake.  As a result, surgery is imminent, recovery is long and the foot will never be the same for the rest of life.  Good news is that cycling is still possible in my future.

So, if harvest is delayed, that may just work in my favor, but there are so many things that have to be lined up well in advance to make it all work.  Let’s see how recovery goes and then we’ll see if I can get my first harvest (for our personal label) underway.

Today I had the honor of working with Phillip Titus of Titus Vineyards for an hour to talk about some harvest activities including crushing and destemming Cabernet Sauvignon picked earlier in the morning.  Below is the recorded session.  Please let me know if you have any questions about topics discussed in this episode and be sure to watch the rest of the week as Titus dives deeper into the “behind the scenes” of winemaking, an unprecedented journey.

The kool kids at Titus Vineyards kicked off their annual Harvest Live 2010 week today with Eric Titus and Christophe Smith leading the charge.  If you’ve ever wondered what happens in the vineyard or in the winery and have questions you want answered directly from the owners/winemakers/vineyard managers, this is the venue for you.  The weather is predicted to be sunny and warm all week, so the vineyard shots are bound to be beautiful and would be a nice break from your busy day to follow along live via Ustream for one hour in the morning and one in the afternoon each day.

For those of you who have followed my adventures traveling from Atlanta to Sonoma and my trials and tribulations as a harvest intern for Holdredge Wines, here is a chance for me to share my experiences with you as Christophe, Phillip Titus and I talk about harvest activities at the crushpad/winery.  I will be co-hosting the afternoon slot tomorrow, Tuesday, October 12 at 2pm PT/5pm ET.  Please join us and ask questions.  This is your chance to get an unparalleled inside look at harvest in Napa Valley. This behind the scenes look at harvest would be unattainable even if you were in wine country.

Check out the entire schedule of events here.

Cheers!

The lowly interns gathered together amongst the stainless steels tanks having just punched down 7 tons of Russian River Pinot Noir.  Wiping the sweat from their brows and drenched from consistent cleaning and errant spray from the hoses, the smiles still could not be peeled from their faces much to the dismay of the winemaker.  The winemaker strolled over while reviewing their work, which is never really just right.  One can never give the interns too much credit for fear of any complacency that may settle into their feeble minds.  They must be constantly pressed, challenged and ridiculed.  It is the way.

Always yearning for knowledge and clawing for every tidbit of wine information, the interns follow the winemaker like star-crazed teens chasing Justin Bieber.  But, interns are only on a need to know basis.  Secrets are doled out like drips from a leaky faucet.  Then, one brave minion speaks up.  ”Holdredge,” she stammers, “What is best in life?”

The winemaker stops in his tracks and slowly turns, arms crossed.  And, in his best Austrian-bodybuilder accent, he adjures:

“To crush your interns, see them driven before you and to hear the gnashing and wailing of their endless misery.”