And so it all begins...

We’ve picked almost two tons of big, beautiful, brixy fruit already (Roussanne and some Tempranillo) and have much more ahead (Sauvignon Blanc, Vigonier and Semillon today) …harvest has arrived, yes it has.

Two elephantine tons and an approximate 93 to go – enough to cause a Sub-Saharan herd some concern. Everything here is hand-harvested by the 15 seasonal workers we have in the vineyards – vine by vine, bunch by bunch.

One of the greatest advantages of hand harvesting is that we’re able to control which clusters are and are not included in our yield. Avoiding leaves, stems, and fruit that doesn’t meet our standard, in the end, adds up to better quality wine. It’s also the way it’s been done for hundreds of years. Why mess with tradition?

Each of the guys on our team is able to pick about 1.5 tons per day (!!!) – so if no one eats, sleeps, or takes any bathroom breaks, we should be done in… the next few weeks. Right on schedule!

2012 is looking to be a fantastic vintage. Predictions all over the valley have been that of record crop yields. As we finish September with the last of the warm days, and progress through crush and fermentation, we should be looking at some classics.

Here are some photos... and this is just the beginning!