End of Harvest Celebration Smoothies

This is what my lab bench looks like daily during Harvest.  Everyday we collect a sample from the recently filled tanks and put it in a glass for everyone to smell and taste the progress of the fermentation.

In the beginning it's 2 or 3 tanks and quickly the entire bench fills up.  Mid harvest the table is completely full.  On the right are the tanks that just started fermenting (still pink, little skin contact), and as the glasses increase to the left are the tanks that have been fermenting longer.

On the other side of the glasses the bench is full of what we need to run analysis on all the tanks samples.

All the grape juice floating around gave us an idea to make smoothies.  So on the last day of harvest we brought the necessary tools.

 We removed the seeds from the grapes, bought some Sorbet, and put it in the blender with ice.

Wine grapes and sorbet.

Intern Jenna was in charge of making the smoothies.  She/we called them "Jenna Juice".

 This is Jenna's first winery internship, that's why she looks so excited.  Also, she's from Ohio.

 The smoothies turned out delicious but it might have had more to do with all the sorbet we put in.  Still, it was a great way to celebrate!

Harvest 2013 is over now and it was delicious.

-Lucia

Night Harvest

This is a Bobard.  These majestic beasts can be equipped with different attachments that rotate depending on the time of year and the type of work that needs to be done in the vineyards.  This time of the year they have harvest lights that light up the vineyards so the workers can see what they are doing.  Also this one has a platform for easy viewing.

Last week I went to the vineyards at 5am to see the harvest and ride the Bobard.  These are picking bins lined up at the end of rows.

We pick at night so the fruit arrives at the winery cool and to avoid overheating the pickers.  This is how green the leaves look with the bright harvesting lights.

Boarding the Bobard.

A sea of green.  Actually, to me this picture looks like it could be taken from underwater.

There are multiple picking locations, and therefore multiple harvest lights.  That is not the sun.

Standing on the platform over the vines.

The guys fill the blue bins.  

They work very fast because they are paid based on the weight of what they pick, not on time it takes them to pick it.

Then the bins are brought to the tractor and stacked on a pallet.

Smoking and picking.  At the same time!

This vineyard has vine that are very low to the ground, so the guys kneel or crouch, either way it's back breaking work.

The other thing that makes this Bobard special is that it has it's own espresso machine on board.  Coffee anyone?

6:40am, the sun is finally coming up.

Climb off the Bobard.

Photo Op on a tractor.

Sunrise in Napa Valley.

Stop for goodies at Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.

7:15am, watch the balloon take off.