July 24 - July 30, 2016

	Wednesday July 27, 2016 We did a sugar test yesterday. I was surprised, Josh asked for it. Josh always looks happy and confident, like he needs more to do....... So we are going to do many tests Friday. We had a meeting with Catarino, Josh and Jose. Jose had a lot to say just like his father, Catarino. He agrees we are getting close and may harvest in one week. We checked Pinot today for sparkling, so I asked Catarino to go out and only pick the ripe bunches. He came back with two samples from slightly different soils AND one came in at 19% and the other 18.5. Josh wants 19 for sparkling so we are almost there. Catarino says we have one ton if selected carefully but it would be hard work to control our great pickers. They want to work fast and thus they may pick some unripe bunches. It is better to wait and pick all from one section but of course we may get too high sugar like last year if we don't pick soon. Usually sugars will go up about 1.5% in a week but it was 106 yesterday and could reach near 110 today, much hotter than our normal highs of low 90's. It looks like it may cool down a little by next week. On Friday I want Catarino to pick all the bunches from one section and see where we are. Also I want him to check some Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. We are one week ahead of normal which would mean we could harvest Zinfandel in one month. Sparkling wine will probably be next week. ...........Harvest is near  Friday July 29, 2016 We just finished analyzing our sugar samples taken this morning. We are harvesting Pinot for sparkling tomorrow morning!! In all the sections of our Pinot Noir we had over 20% sugar. Some sections were over 21%. We want about 19% sugar so we are going to pick in the least ripe section and pick a whole vine. In that section there are some berries that are showing some green color so they are probably only 16% with good acid. We did pick a whole vine in the ripest section and we got 22%. We also tested our small section of Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and a few other white varieties which will go into our new white blend. Those sugars came in over 20% also and we want about 22%. We should be harvesting our white in 10 or less days. Then there is our DC Fusion. Last year we made a blend of several vintages and sold it for $99 a case and we will do the same this year. The grapes for that wine from this vintage will be harvested next week. I will have more to say in a few days. Harvest.......It will be fun 8:30 Pm: So one of chose nights I have to focust (I hate that spelling) to the future. I know that is dramatic and as you know most of us go through this every morning. We don't call it future we call it WHAT do I have to do today.............. I always think about what do I have to do tomorrow!!!!! I have to confess, as usual, it is so easy for me. I got lucky I like what I do As I have said before you think it is great that I can make wine and you can't or have no interest. Hey, I have the passion and all around us are ready. We love what we do and we will be harvesting tomorrow and drinking sparkling to the French Saturday July 30, 2016 Our first crop is in and everyone was gone before noon so I had no time to toast to the new year. We brought in 1.16 tons of Pinot Noir for sparkling at 19.5 sugar and great acid. We are chilling in the freezer and will add yeast tomorrow. The DC Fusion grapes in Zinfandel and Petite Sirah sections are not ready yet so we need another week. We will check sugars in the white grapes next Wednesday.
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