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Mind of a Winemaker

Winemaker. It may be one of the most epic job titles out there, but what do they actually do… Many think it’s days filled with walking rows of picturesque vineyards pondering the meaning of life, and a healthy level of day-drinking. Although it can be those things, being a winemaker is so much more. It is a part farmer, chemist, production manager, safety coordinator, heavy equipment operator, DJ, foodie and of course, salesperson.

Winemaking is both science and art, it’s visceral, stimulates the senses, and multiple times during every harvest all winemakers will ask themselves, “why do I do this again?…” A month of consecutive jean-soaked 10-hour days will do that to any person. We do it because winemaking is a tango with Mother Nature. First, we work with our terroir to try to grow fruit that represents our vineyards to the fullest, then we put it in the “hands” of microorganisms to turn our beloved fruit into intricate wine. During every step we are smelling, touching and thinking with Mother Nature, guiding the winemaking process and making the best wine our growing season has given us.

September 15, 2017, marked the first day of harvest, and throughout our marathon with Mother Nature over the next few months, we will be diving inside the mind of our winemakers in the pages of our Field Notes. Bringing you a direct insight into the thought processes and decisions made in crafting the 2017 vintage. Check out our Facebook page for daily live videos and we will be posting new entries to the field notes every few days throughout harvest to give you a direct line to our winemaking processes.

As I would say to any winemaker at this time of year: have a safe harvest, I hope to share a beer with you over the next few months, and let’s hit the slopes this winter.