Startled deer stare as I drive through the morning fog on my way to Starr Ranch to help harvest our first Syrah. The workers start at sun-up so I quickly gulp the last of my coffee and get to the vineyard by 6:40. Neil and Luis have the crew load the picking bins onto the trailer that is pulled through the rows. "Jump on" they shout and off we go down the gentle hills to the block where our 6 rows of Syrah are ready to be harvested.
This is a small block of Syrah 2A with brix over 26 that hang plump, juicy and ripe. The workers quickly grab small bins and attack the vines while I ride the rails of the trailer. They dump the smaller bins into the main bin and I madly grope the grapes ridding them of twigs, leaves and any other "Material Other than Grapes" hence, MOG. Throughout the process, you can catch a glimpse of each of us sampling a grape every so often. Boy are they sweet! Judy, the owner of Starr Ranch shares the story of one of young tenents who lives in her rental property. His name is Felix and is from Sweden (long story for another blog post.) She suggested he taste some of the fruit and we both laugh when she relayed his comments, "Taste just like grapes!" I don't know why folks think wine grapes are all that different from the table grapes they buy at Albertsons, but I have seen similar reactions.
It takes about 45 minutes to strip the vines of their bounty. The crew is off to harvest someone else Cabernet so I head back. On the way out of her beautiful vineyard, seven quail scurry across the drive and as I head down her windy drive lined with persimmon trees, I gaze at yet another startled deer grazing in the golden fields. With the sun high in the sky by this time and the crisp morning air enters my car, I nearly pinch myself. This is why I live here.
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