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…

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…