It's All About Abby

 Well, not all about Abby.  That's Tallulah's Run South being reflected in the pond at Coeur de Terre Vineyards.  Tallulah and Abby are Scott and Lisa's two beautiful daughters and they each have a section of the vineyard named after them.  Abby's block is the last Pinot to be harvested on the estate.  At one point in the day Abby is actually helping us sort the fruit from Abby's block.  Lisa tells me to take a picture because it will be so much better than the ones that she has taken.  I try several angles.  Finally, I stick the camera over her head and she happens to look up.  It is a silly picture, and probably not what Lisa had in mind.
It was a classic day up at the vineyard.  The picking crew was not as large as we had hoped, which is only logical since it is going to rain on Friday (and for the rest of our lives) so everyone is trying to get their fruit picked in the next 48 hours.  This morning we finished sorting the fruit that we had started last night.  Then we proceed to Abby's block.  It is beautiful fruit.  The harvesting crew does a wonderful job of keeping out leaves, so our job of sorting is a breeze.  Helping today at the sorting table is Jim.  I won't use his last name so that he'll have plausible deniability!  Jim is a wine club member, and just wanted to have a chance to come over and see how crush is done.  He is a total joy to work with.  At one point it strikes me that the only two people working the sorting table are volunteers  who are working simply because they love the wines being made at Coeur de Terre.  Scott and Lisa may be on to something! 

There are two insects that are especially active on the sorting table.  One is treated kindly, lovingly placed into the compost area.  You can see an accumulation of them in the picture to the right.  They even have a cute name, "Ladybugs".  Who wouldn't love that?  The other insect is not so well though of.  They are named for a part of your body in which they might want to crawl.  Earwigs.  I HATE earwigs.  I deliver them to the compost pile in not quite so loving a way.  I end up with the landing on my neck, and then going down my shirt and sometimes into my pants!  I heard a story today about someone who actually ended up with one in their ear!  Ack!
At one point today there was a truck here to pick up some bins from the fruit that we had already sorted.  Then another truck arrived with some new French Oak Barrels.  While they were unloading another truck came with fruit from Highland Vineyards.  Then an inspector arrived from the Food and Drug Administration!  All the while fruit is coming in from Abby's Block to be sorted.
I had to cut out early today so that I could get back in town to lead our new Bread and Wine worship service at Remy's Wines.  After talking with her crew I feel almost lucky.  They were inundated with several government agency inspections today.  What a hassle to have all of these people come on the day when you are absolutely the most busy.

I noticed today that the new Assistant Winemaker, Shane has the mark of the beast on his licence plates!  Shane takes cleanliness to a whole new level.  I thought Scott was a Nazi about keeping the equipment clean, but Shane is amazing!  He cleans the equipment that the guys have already cleaned.  It is so awesome to have him always taking care of the sorted and destemmed fruit.  I was trying to do some of that last year, but didn't have any idea of what I was doing.   Shane knows exactly what he is doing, and he even likes chemistry.
 I was so excited when I headed up to the vineyard this morning and there was fog!  That means there is a low pressure front from the Pacific coming into the valley.  Believe it or not I'm getting kind of tired of all of this perfect, sunny weather.  Even the earth is longing for some moisture.  Rain is coming, like a final curtain on this beautiful harvest.  The earth will drink it in, and then the vines will head into their winter rest.  What a perfect harvest season.