What It's Like to Work a Harvest in Wine Country

Aug 15, 2024
By The Silver Fox

Harvest in wine country is electric, with vibrant vineyards, bustling wineries, and winemaking magic.

Hello!

First of all, thank you so much to all of you that reached out to share how much you liked last week's newsletter. That really adds icing to the proverbial cake as we love to write and share our stories with our readers. We hope you can get some tips from us locals that will make your next trip to wine country even better.

Today's newsletter is a little different. I'm going to share with you what it's like to live in wine country during harvest and share some of my experiences working a harvest in wine country. I hope it sparks some inspiration in you to give it a go next year, you won't regret it.

2024 Harvest Has Begun

Believe it or not, it’s harvest time once again in wine country. For those of us lucky enough to call this place home, it’s a season bursting with energy and anticipation. The vineyards are alive as the grapes reach their peak ripeness, and the air is thick with the intoxicating scent of fermenting fruit.

Local coffee shops are bustling with workers fueling up for another long day, eyes barely open as they prepare for the demands of the harvest. Winemakers, vineyard crews, and heavy machinery are hard at work in the fields, meticulously selecting the perfect clusters for pressing. All the while, the golden hues of autumn leaves paint the landscape in vibrant colors, adding to the beauty of the season.

This is the moment when months of dedicated effort and nature’s rhythms come together, creating an atmosphere of celebration and excitement. As you stroll through the charming towns scattered across wine country, you can feel—and even smell—the harvest in full swing. The buzz of activity is contagious, especially as tourism hits its peak.

Wine enthusiasts from around the globe flock to the region, eager to tour the vineyards, taste the latest vintages, and experience the magic of winemaking in its most dynamic phase. It’s a time of tradition, community, and the promise of exceptional wines to come.

Witness the Action Firsthand

Harvest time in wine country is electric, whether you’re working in a tasting room, the lab, on the crush pad, or out in the vineyard. The atmosphere hums with activity as every step of the winemaking process unfolds before your eyes. In the vineyards, workers start early, meticulously hand-picking grapes to capture the fruit’s peak freshness.

Tractors haul bins of freshly harvested grapes to the crush pad, where the grapes are sorted, de-stemmed, and sometimes pressed right away. Inside the winery, the fermenting rooms are a hive of activity.

Winemakers closely monitor the fermentation process, adjusting temperatures and managing the delicate balance of flavors. You might even catch a glimpse of the rhythmic punch-downs, where grape skins are pushed back into the fermenting juice to extract color and tannins.

In the barrel rooms, the sounds of wine being transferred into oak barrels for aging fill the air, mingling with rich, earthy aromas. It’s a time of intense focus, collaboration, and celebration as the entire winery works together to craft the next vintage.

Experience an evening of grape picking and stomping at Messina Hof Hill Country Vineyard on August 30th!

Harvest Memories

After college, I worked at several popular wineries, and I have to say it was a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Surrounded by passionate individuals who share your love for wine, you quickly form bonds that go beyond the vineyard. Many of those are still close friends of mine today!

What is surreal is that many of these newfound friends will go on to become iconic winemakers and vintners. You'll bump into them years later and share stories of the early days when you worked side by side, possibly even roommates, driven by a shared excitement and ambition of working hard at day and blowing off steam at the many legendary harvest parties.

The camaraderie is palpable as you tackle the physical demands of the harvest, like the unforgettable challenge of emptying fermentation tanks with shovels for hours on end. The laughter, friendly competition, and the collective push to beat a lofty winery record for the number of tons moved in minutes create memories that last a lifetime.

These are the moments that define your early career, forging connections and experiences that shape your future in the wine industry. Given I've worked in the movie industry and the wine industry, they have many parallels.

There's a huge amount of energy put into something in a short amount of time, but you have to be prepared for the ending where people go different directions and you need to have your next gig lined up. But what you have to share with friends is either the movie or the bottle of wine you helped produce. Now that's pretty cool!

Looking back 30+ years, I wouldn't trade my grape harvest experience for anything. And I would encourage anyone to go after their dreams of making wine and sign up to work a harvest at a winery near you.

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Hope to bump into you in wine country,

-The Silver Fox