First fruit today!
As September wanes into October, I think all of us at Domaine Serene were thrilled to bring in and process our first fruit of the vintage today, getting underway a harvest we have all been eagerly anticipating. I don’t feel like I'm going too far out on a limb to claim that all of us down in the cellar did not get into the business because of a passionate and insatiable love of cleaning.These past few weeks we have gotten ready for the main event by scrubbing and re-scrubbing every floor, drain, tank, and barrel in the winery, and let me tell you, this place is CLEAN! We might not have loved every minute of the preparation, but it was well worth it all to bring in our first lot of Walla Walla Syrah and see the juice and skins splatter into our fermenters. To us, the aftermath of the first day of crushing in what had been a pristine cellar is kind of like spending all afternoon perfecting a sandcastle on the beach, and then actually enjoying it more as you don a Godzilla grin and tear it apart.
The winery was absolutely filled with a perceptible energy today, smiling faces running about even as the hours piled up and the sun threatened to disappear before we made it outdoors to enjoy the uncommonly seasonable day. Still, in the midst of all the fun, we were reminded that we had an obligation to fulfill: the pre-harvest weigh in. One by one we dutifully took the place normally reserved for picking bins on the scale and heard our weights yelled out by the watchful throng. I learned that I've got to gain a modest 60 pounds to gain the title of biggest guy in the cellar. A prize will be awarded at the end of harvest to the person with the biggest weight differential--higher or lower. Although we'll all be putting in some seriously long hours over the next few months in a physical job, we'll also be enjoying meals prepared by an in-house chef...so its anybody's guess how our bodies will respond.
First day in the books, I think we're all looking forward to getting into a rhythm and bringing in a lot more fruit. Still, first things first, and I know we're all going to sleep really, really well tonight. – Written by Zach Bryant, Harvest Intern. Photos by Megan Jones.
As September wanes into October, I think all of us at Domaine Serene were thrilled to bring in and process our first fruit of the vintage today, getting underway a harvest we have all been eagerly anticipating. I don’t feel like I'm going too far out on a limb to claim that all of us down in the cellar did not get into the business because of a passionate and insatiable love of cleaning.These past few weeks we have gotten ready for the main event by scrubbing and re-scrubbing every floor, drain, tank, and barrel in the winery, and let me tell you, this place is CLEAN! We might not have loved every minute of the preparation, but it was well worth it all to bring in our first lot of Walla Walla Syrah and see the juice and skins splatter into our fermenters. To us, the aftermath of the first day of crushing in what had been a pristine cellar is kind of like spending all afternoon perfecting a sandcastle on the beach, and then actually enjoying it more as you don a Godzilla grin and tear it apart. 
The winery was absolutely filled with a perceptible energy today, smiling faces running about even as the hours piled up and the sun threatened to disappear before we made it outdoors to enjoy the uncommonly seasonable day. Still, in the midst of all the fun, we were reminded that we had an obligation to fulfill: the pre-harvest weigh in. One by one we dutifully took the place normally reserved for picking bins on the scale and heard our weights yelled out by the watchful throng. I learned that I've got to gain a modest 60 pounds to gain the title of biggest guy in the cellar. A prize will be awarded at the end of harvest to the person with the biggest weight differential--higher or lower. Although we'll all be putting in some seriously long hours over the next few months in a physical job, we'll also be enjoying meals prepared by an in-house chef...so its anybody's guess how our bodies will respond. 
1 comment:
Harvest 2008...September 30th...what a time! I can't believe it finally got here...wish I could be there to watch...living on the east coast has its advantages but not when it comes to growing grapes to make wine...nothing like Oregon for Pinot-Noir...or Napa. I wish I could be there for the BIG BOTTLE TASTING...just live too far for the trip, the envy outside being there for the harvest...Hope it was a good one and all the best to the staff at Domaine Serene..I know I will be enjoying some very impressive -outstanding--excellent Pinot...a little later than most but later is better than never. All the best to Alan ...Michele...Amber for taking care of me. I love the house..one day will have to make the trip. Thanks for all the great vintages...keep up the good work.
One of your Domaine-Serene family members...Lenny from NJ.
Hope everyone can enjoy what is absolutely an awesome, beautifully balanced and simply perfect wines...if you love pinot-noir, look no further.
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