Harvest Season
In this perspective piece, we get in the field with those deep in grapes.
By Amy Butler, Coby Parker-Garcia and Pedro Vazquez | Photos by Hugo Martinez
In this perspective piece, we get in the field with those deep in grapes.
Harvest season is a crucial time in this county — the biggest industry of the area depends on it. In 2018 the total wine grape value across San Luis Obispo county hit a record high of $276 million. Picking the perfect fruit at just the right time is a science, an art and a necessity with a lot of money invested in the process, and a lot of money dependent on the outcome. You can always tell it’s that time of year; vineyards are lit up and there is more traffic on the roads in the dead of night, and we say goodbye to our family or friends working Harvest for those months, whom we resolve to not see, or, if we’re lucky, see in passing as they climb into bed and leave again just a few hours later.
In this Perspective piece, we hear stories from three of those in the thick of it, in the fields and making it happen.
“My first day ever working Harvest was on September 16, 2004. It was my first time working in the wine industry, as I had previously been working in the kitchen. Without much thought, I showed up wearing a white T-shirt. Everyone was looking at me and laughing, wondering what in the world I was thinking. To teach me a lesson, they put me on an aerated pump-over, and by the end of the day I no longer had a white shirt — I left with it reddish-purple, speckled and stained. Though I wasn’t upset since this was work attire, I did quickly learn that wearing white wasn’t particularly the best color when working with grapes. This coming Harvest will be my 16th year! It’s exciting and filled with adrenaline. We are bringing in the fruit, which is a special and important part of winemaking.
Our vineyard crew will start anywhere from 1am to 2am depending on the needs. We, on the other hand, start at 5am and will work as long as it takes to complete the task at hand. This could mean up to 16-hour days, but on average we’re looking at about 13-hour days. We work every day of the week until Harvest is over. The picking begins in the wee hours of the morning in order to not allow the temperature of the fruit to increase by very many degrees. We can have some harsh heat spikes because of where we are located, and we can have strong winds of up to 30mph, making it really cold. The weather swings. With the hotter and triple digit-degree weather, we’re looking at faster ripening. If the heat maintains for a long period of time, we’re going to bring the fruit in faster. Cooler weather tends to slow things down, and the ripening process doesn’t happen so rapidly. We work until we’re all picked out of the varietal of grapes that we decided needed to be picked. Once we’re picked out, we call it a day and go home. If we have another block scheduled for the following day, we are right back at it early the next morning.
To be able to see the development every step of the way is amazing. From looking back and remembering the quality of the fruit, and fast forwarding to watching it go into the bottle, just knowing that I took care of something all the way through from start to finish is rewarding. Once we put that finished wine in a bottle, all the memories come back about that vintage, the work that was put into it and what it was like working with the fruit. It’s an incredible feeling.”
— Pedro Vazquez, Assistant Winemaker, Law Estate Wines
“My earliest memory of working Harvest was in 1996. It was a hot year, and we would swim in the irrigation pond after work. Sometimes it’s not the wine but the experiences you remember the most. Now I’m on my 23rd year. I love Harvest. This is the season when the wine is really made, along with some of the most important quality and style decisions.
I love the physicality and the stickiness of it. In the early mornings I find the tractor and head out into the block, assess the quality and ensure a clean pick. I prep the winery to receive the grapes, monitor and manage the current fermentations and head out into the vineyard and check on the progress. Each day is a bit different, maybe I help weigh, maybe start de-stemming. We work through to the afternoon, and then clean, manage fermentations again, button up the winery, have a beer, go home and do it all again.
I know it’s time to start when I’ve done the numbers and they’re close, but it comes down to day-to-day tasting of the fruit to actually call the pick. I work with small lots and small vineyards. I typically do everything myself in the winery, and amazing labor crews come through and pick the grapes. They are typically the same crew we have doing vineyard maintenance throughout the year.
Our days start at sun-up, and go until we’re done. It varies, but goes every day of the week, and it goes on for at least two months. It’s sticky, dirty, high energy and, usually, fun. Sometimes, yes, it’s a bit stressful, but it’s manageable.
I remember Harvest being much longer and later than it is now, but it changes based on the weather. Climate change has tightened things up a little bit.”
— Amy Butler, Winemaker, Pelletiere Estate Vineyard and Winery
“At the end of Harvest I always feel a sense of relief. It’s the end of the season and all the hard work has paid off. We only have one chance to make that perfect picking decision. It can be stressful, but it’s also a time when adrenaline is going so fast, we don’t have the time to be stressed. I make the picking decision based off of tasting of the fruit, trying to find the balance between sweetness, tannin, acidity and grape maturity. I always try to look at numbers to make sure my taste buds aren’t off that day and the fruit is really ready to get off the vine. Sometimes, we have to determine the pick based off Mother Nature — maybe rain in the forecast, or a heat spike that could over-ripen the fruit.
At El Lugar, we don’t have any employees; it’s just my wife and I. During Harvest, we bribe family and friends to come out and help us process the fruit. It’s amazing what people will do for a few bottles of wine.
On days we pick grapes, I typically start early in the morning before the sun comes up. I enjoy and like being in the vineyard when this happens. Once the fruit is picked, I head over to the winery and process the fruit, and then there is always more to do around the winery — cleaning up, punchdowns, prepping for something the next day.
I remember my first vintage for El Lugar like it was yesterday. I’m not one to get nervous, but I remember the night before my first pick – so many emotions and thoughts going through my head. I remember thinking, “Are the grapes ready? Should I really pick tomorrow? Will the wine turn out okay? Will I be able to pay for the grapes?”
My first commercial Harvest was in 2002. If you count the two Harvests at Cal Poly as a student, this will be my 19th vintage. People always say that the wine business is so romantic. It’s romantic when you are enjoying a nice bottle of wine, eating amazing food and enjoying good company. But Harvest is far from romantic. Not a lot of romance with wet feet, lack of sleep and a full beard. But I know Harvest is only a few months long. I put my head down, work hard, make logical decisions and don’t cut corners.”
— Coby Parker-Garcia, Owner and Winemaker, El Lugar Wines
