Grapes of Wine

As part of my personal quest to find new adventures, this adventures actually started a few months ago. I had decided back in like July that if it is was possible, I would like to help harvest some wine grapes. It is my goal to get re-connected to how things are made, created, and the effort it takes to make them happen.

So many times I walk into the grocery store and grab whatever I need, but more often than not, I have no idea how much time or effort it takes to make those things. Like so many people and the giant “They” of the world says, we are getting more and more disconnected from our food. To try and stop the cycle I am reaching out, give my time and energy, to help people and learn something new.

My adventure started with an unknown number come up on my cell phone? I didn’t recognize the number so waited until it reached voice mail and checked it out durning lunch. It was a guy name Dave, from Virginia Mountain Vineyards. They had started to harvest their Chardonnay grapes had seen that I was interested in helping and wanted to let me know. I told him I couldn’t make it during the week, but if they were still picking this weekend I’d love to help.

I waited until Friday, called back and confirmed that they were still harvesting, he said yes. So I told my friend Judy about this adventures, she agreed, and we headed out early Saturday morning to pick some grapes.

We were there for about two hours and learned a lot of useful information. Here are just some of the fun facts that we learned:

Chardonnay Grapes

Gapes get harvested at different times of the year. Until then, I assumed that they all were picked at the same time. We only picked the Chardonnay grapes. I am waiting for a call to help with the merlot graps.

All grapes are currently hand picked.

Walk in fridge.

As soon as you pick these grapes they are to ferment. To slow down the process these grapes are put in a very large walk in refidgerator.

One way they can tell the grapes are ready is when the birds start to eat the grapes. They then pick some, do some testing, and can even send grapes off to other locations to analznie if they are ready.

If you go to a wine festival, even though you probably bout a ticket, the local vineyards are kind of expecting you to buy a bottle of wine. Not maybe for each vendor, but at least one, especially if there are samples. Think of it as going out to eat, you pay for your dinner, and then you give your waiter/waitress a tip (If you don’t you suck as a person and need to rethink how the food industry works)

The blended wines does not get mixed until AFTER they have been made.

Most grape vines don’t start making grapes until they are about 5 years old.

Birds do not eat all the grapes on a cluster. They poke there beaks in one or two and move on. Bees like the sugars and hang around these broken grapes to get the juice.

Wearing a hat covered in bug spray is a good idea.

Your hands will be very sticky.

The tools are very sharp.

I enjoyed this process so much that I had my sister come out with me the next day to do the same thing. Below are some of the pictures from the day and showing you more about what you do

Some grapes had rotted right on the vine. You cut off what you could and saved the good grapes if possible .

Magen showing you how to use your pointy clippers to remove a bad grape from the cluster. 

You filled the yellow bins up with grapes. Because the walk-in fridge has a limited size you have to make sure they are flush and filled to the top When you do this it kind of feels like fish eggs because of the hard grapes and all the juices all over them. Kind of weird feeling.

Magen walking down a row of vines. 

These last set of pictures show how they take these picked grapes actually get them juiced and set into the container to start the fermenting process.

Grapes ready to be de-steamed. 

steams

The de-steaming machine on the left. The pump in the middle moves the grapes from that machine into the wooded press on the right.

Newly de-steamed grapes entering the press.

Inside view of press. The black thing is a bladder that will be filled with water which squishes the grapes.

Juice leaking out of press

Juice running out of press into another container that has a net over it to filter out more pulp.

Container where juice now is held until it turns into wine.

If you want to help harvest grapes I recommend contacting Dave at Virginia Mountain Vineyards. He is a wealth of knowledge and it was a great experience. If you cannot make it out there, find a local vineyard by you and see if they are looking for a few hours of free labor. Most people don’t pass on the opportunity.