Harvest 2021

Mediterranean Vineyards Harvest Blog 2021

This harvest has not disappointed, with hot temperatures and fire evacuations making it a wild ride. But nothing fazes our cool, calm, and collected Winemaker, Taylor. He and his team are resilient, and we are looking forward to world class wines in the future!

Harvest started for us on August 25th with Pinot Grigio grapes from our estate vineyard in Fair Play. Interesting fact from Taylor about Pinot Grigio grapes: “they are actually a red-skinned white varietal, so the fruit must be handled as gently as possible. Early morning picks for this varietal are best to keep the fruit cold so it doesn’t pick up color while pressing.”

Once the fruit is in our winemaking facility, the fun begins! Our winemaking team jumps into action, loading the grapes into the “hopper” or crusher/de-stemmer. Once processed, the juice goes into tanks and the stems are discarded. Then the budding wine really goes into action, it’s maceration time! During maceration the wine heats up due to the chemical reaction of sugars naturally converting into alcohol through fermentation. Nutrients are added to help promote and maintain healthy maceration while we wait for all the sugar to dissipate.

Some of our larger lots of wine ferment in tanks. With these large tanks, the only way to mix the macerating juice is to do what is called a “pump over.” A special hose is attached to the bottom of the tank that pumps juice through it with the cellar person holding the other end of the hose, so it pours over the top layer or “cap”. This aids in keeping the fermentation even and allows for a controlled oxygenation of the wine. This action also maintains consistent skin contact which will impart aroma, flavors, and structure into the wine.

We are halfway through harvest. Overall vineyard comments from Taylor: “All of the work in the last three years at the Mediterranean Estate vineyard is starting to pay off! Varietals are ripening at a more consistent pace and showing more of their true varietal characteristics. All of the groundwork and fertilizing is making the vines happier and in turn providing us with a larger crop.”Some of our larger lots of wine ferment in tanks. With these large tanks, the only way to mix the macerating juice is to do what is called a “pump over.” A special hose is attached to the bottom of the tank that pumps juice through it with the cellar person holding the other end of the hose, so it pours over the top layer or “cap”. This aids in keeping the fermentation even and allows for a controlled oxygenation of the wine. This action also maintains consistent skin contact which will impart aroma, flavors, and structure into the wine.

One question on everyone’s mind is, what is the effect of the Caldor Fire and smoke taint on the grapes? Taylor said, “I think due to the proximity of the fire we missed a lot of the ash falling on the grapes. We have had no smoke issues with the Mediterranean Estate fruit.”

Stay tuned for next months’ blog to hear how your favorite wines are doing and what is next in the winemaking process.

Cheers!
The Mediterranean Vineyards harvest crew