No fruit coming this last Tuesday. It was half-time break, as we can see on the big harvest calendar in the lab. Half of the grapes are in tank, half of the grapes are still ripening in the vineyard. I can tell you that this year’s harvest is very tasty. I tasted them on the sorting line and in the vineyard when I was sampling at the beginning of harvest. Sampling, I love this particular job! The Dundee Hills are so gorgeous. I sampled early the morning and I saw the sun rise above the Willamette Valley mist. I am French (sorry for my English), so I have the culture of terroir. For me, in the great vines terroir, there is a beautiful light. With their red volcanic soil and this light, the Dundee Hills are definitely made for vineyards. How I can describe the Evenstad Estate? Magic! There are vines in every direction except on the North slope. From the top of the Côte Sud vineyard you can see Mount Hood. Grace vineyard, Gold Eagle vineyard and Clos du Soleil are on the East Slop. Here, the sun is so sweet in the morning, but my favourite vineyard is Mark Bradford on the West slope. The Pommard Clone is so tasty from these vines.

I am part of the Domaine Serene Dream Team (the Night Team) with Kelley, Lauren and Shri. All of us miss our boss (and the daylight) a lot. We work well with Griffin and he is a great cellar master. Usually, we start at 2 o’clock in the afternoon and finish between midnight and five o’clock the next morning. It depends on how busy the day is. For example, punch down and pump over are a long process every night. Maceration and fermentation are made in small tanks to keep every block of vines (different locations, different clones, different rootstocks…) separated so that Domaine Serene can find exquisite and consistent blendings to make Yamhill Cuvée and Evenstad Reserve. Punch down and pump over are interesting jobs. You can smell and see how maceration and fermentation are progressing.

I miss the other interns working on the day team too. Still, we remain one big team in spirit. We built a strong complicity before the harvest rush. It is just fantastic to live and to talk about wines and life with young people from all over the world. We have a very good relationship with the full-time Domaine Serene staff and a real bond. It is sweet to work as a team to produce the best wine we can. I particularly love to work with Katie on the sorting line, to help Chris filling the tanks, and to smash grapes for Sam’s samples in the lab.

I come from the Loire Valley. My parents are winemakers in Anjou. They produce notably Chenin blanc and Cabernet in the Family Estate called Domaine Ogereau It is very funny to process fruit here at Domaine Serene and to follow harvest at home by phone at the same time. The weekly call to my parents (between presses) lasts at least a half an hour because of my Dad’s numerous questions. I am very lucky. It seems to be a great vintage on both sides of the Atlantic: Willamette Valley and Anjou. I have definitely had a great time in Oregon and I’m already a bit sad that I Will soon leave this place and these great people at the beginning of November. It is too short! – Emmanuel Ogereau, Harvest Intern