The Guide Being Guided

I've been thinking about making wine for well, several years. After working in the industry for ten, it just seemed increasingly odd that I'd never actually produced the stuff. There were always excuses: travel, living in a big city, money, business school time constraints, not knowing how, etc. etc. (Pretty good excuses, actually, but still excuses.)

Then I moved to an idyllic suburb just north of Portland and started a consulting business next to some of the world's most fabulous Pinot Noir grapes and started to feel like a fraud. After all, I was branding myself a marketer, manager, sommelier, judge, writer, teacher, advisor and steward of the industry. Yet I'd never actually tried to make the stuff! Subconsciously, I was ready, as I'd been saving bottles and corks for months "just in case", but I hadn't committed to the winemaking lifestlye.

Fast forward to October 7th, when a student in my wine marketing class listened to my monologue about preventing the "ivory marketing tower" syndrome (where wine marketers sit in pretty offices pontificating with clean, unsticky hands and little knowledge of viticultural and oenological issues) and challenged me to pick grapes for his non-profit winery, Bodhichitta. As someone looking to grow local roots, I was thrilled with the opportunity, both for the gifts of time in the vineyard I'd learned to cherish each year and for the local connection to the Willamette.

I had a fabulous, sticky, cold and invigorating day in the vineyard later that week and left my business card with the farmer. "If you have any unclaimed grapes, please give me a call," I wistfully offered. Four days later, he offered Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I had no idea how to manage the business transaction! When I called him back, I said that "I'd take whatever he needed me to, and thought hat 1/2 ton would do but would take 1 ton if need be." (Not exactly a pricing strategy I'd recommend. I was in a more CA mindset where you talk in terms of tons, not pounds!)

Mike laughed and let me know that we were dealing in much smaller increments: 100 lbs. versus 1600! His price was incredibly reasonable and I am still glowing from the picking/crushing-destemming experience. I was served a gourmet lunch of rainbow tomato stuffed with Walla Walla sweet onion, dill and mayonnaise. (Mike's power lunch and a lesson to us all -- the guy looks about 50 and is probably nearly 70. The health benefits of growing your own farm fresh food!) Mike generously offered me fruits of his garden -- fresh corn, squash, tomatoes, herbs, cabbage -- you name it. He and the grapes made my day!

Every crazy entrepreneur needs a support and encouragement system. Mine is my husband, Patrick. I called him at work late on Friday afternoon to "tell him the good news" that we "got grapes" and that he "would love it!" A few hours later, after I'd procured storage bins from Home Depot that "could hold a 140 pound woman" (the sales guy surely thought my intentions a little suspect) and visited my local beer and wine shop for supplies and basic information -- we were ready to roll!

On Saturday, the 18th, we drove out to the vineyard and commenced our first vintage of Huey Cellars, picking together, then putting our fruit through the crusher-destemmer. The weather was gorgeous -- a perfect fall day, and I was thankful as I knew the typical gray skies and rain would contribute to a much less exciting experience for newbies.

We returned home with our bins, sticky and happy -- ready to embark on the rest of the adventure. Being a nut job sans press, I decided it would be a great idea to foot tread both lots. So I spent nearly two hours dancing around in grape bins (thank goodness I had the Home Depot guy verify weight standards). We then added the nutrient, acid and stabilizer, and tended to the rest of the evening.

On Sunday, the 19th, we added yeast to begin fermentation. It was a little like planting a flower and waiting for it to blossom -- perhaps quicker, but there's still the anticipation of the "beginning" and fear that something will go wrong.

So when I came downstairs to smell and see my baby grapes fermenting the next morning, I couldn't have been more viniferously joyous! The little bubbles are just too cute! I thought, "Now I am starting to understand what it's like to be a 'wine parent' "!

Today, the 20th and those following will entail a proper punch-down schedule (3 times daily for Pinot). Right now we're focused on keeping the temperatures appropriate and the fermentation going... there have been a few challenges!