The sounds and smells of harvest are everywhere.  The 2009 season has officially begun!   And what an incredible time it is - there is almost constant round the clock activity in what is usually a peaceful and tranquil setting.  Many wineries harvest their grapes at night, so that the fruit is picked in the cool hours and gets to the winery before the heat of the day.  The hustle and bustle of vineyard crews moving from one vineyard to the next is quite a sight!  This time of year is also one of the best to visit wine country.  Arrive at the winery during the weekday and you'll almost assuredly see grapes being crushed.  Our tasting room staff is more than happy to take you for a quick visit to the crush pad - just ask! 
 
For more harvest information, be sure to read on, and don't forget about an incredible new event sponsored by the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley called ZinTopia!
 

Harvest '09 is Here!

In the wee hours of the morning, Thursday, September 3, 2009, harvest officially began at Dry Creek Vineyard. The first load of grapes arrived before sun up - Sauvignon Blanc from the northern end of the Dry Creek Valley.

According to our winemaker, Lisa, the fruit looked terrific!  The brix level (a unit of measurement used to describe sugar levels in the grapes) was 23 brix.  This was slightly higher than normal, possibly due to several days of recent warmer than average temperatures.   So far, 2009 is shaping up to be an excellent vintage.  

The summer growing season was near perfect with temperatures consistent and very few extreme heat spikes.  The crop size this year is average with most vineyards reporting solid yields and excellent looking clusters.   Our winemaking team is hopeful that the weather remains consistent and temperate.  This will be key in helping them to gauge when different varietals will arrive at the winery.  That, and being out in the vineyard everyday to make the right picking decisions.  After all, great wine is made in the vineyard first!

Look for more updates as we move through harvest and be sure to visit us - we're open 7 days a week from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

As we reported earlier this year, the new head pruned Zinfandel vineyard in front of our winery has really taken off!  Now looking more like mature plants, this exciting new vineyard is just one of many new vineyard development projects we have undertaken in 2009.