I’ve been home for close to two weeks – how can that be?  I miss the winery and the friends I made while visiting.  The 2011 harvest started in earnest mere days after my departure and I hope to be able to get some updates on how it is progressing. In summary of what I observed and learned during my visit, I now understand what…

6:15 a.m. alarm.  Seth Miller, one of the vineyard managers picked me up at 7:00.  It was a dry and cool morning, perfect for the task ahead.  Tanager is owned by Ken’s brother and sister-in-law so this was a special morning for them-the first harvest of their new vineyard.  It typically takes at least 3 years for a new vineyard to…

Today is Saturday and our first order of business is a trip out to Shea Vineyard to sample.  Shea is an enormous 140 acre vineyard with acreage leased by a number of wine makers.  Ken leases 6 acres.  The grapes just aren’t ready.  They need some sun and the birds are an increasing threat.  Ken’s vineyard managers were out sampling the other vineyards and…

Today was a “play day”.  My first stop was a visit to Sokol Blosser Winery.  The lovely drive up to the winery was flanked by Pinot Noir on the left and Pinot Gris on the right.  Alison took me on a tour that included nearby vineyards and the winery. Sokol Blosser is in the heart of the Dundee Hills, famous for its red volcanic…

Being here before harvest has its advantages. I am having the opportunity to perform a number of tasks that would not be possible with all hands on the sorting line. Today I learned about punching down. Currently there are 14 enormous vats of Syrah grapes fermenting.  Each vat holds approximately 1 1/2 tons of grapes.  KWC is fortunate to have…

I arrived in Carlton, OR Tuesday evening and moved into The Winery Lofts of Ken Wright Cellars, my home for the next few days. Weather factors have dictated that it is not time for harvest. Cooler temperatures and rain have slowed the final stages of ripening.  But that is okay – there is still work to do. Upon arriving at the winery this morning…

In my first post I talked about the Pinot Noir seminar I attended at Charleston Wine and Food Festival last spring. Alison Sokol Blosser presented wines from Sokol Blosser Winery. Her parents, Susan Sokol and Bill Blosser, were among the true pioneers of the wine business in Oregon. Susan authored a book called At Home in the Vineyard that chronicles…