icnmgrjill
09-19-2006, 10:32 AM
I can't leave the boards this afternoon without describing this gorgeous gorgeous fall day. I'm sitting in the ICN warehouse up on my sisters ranch in Healdsburg California. During the off season, she manages the ICN shop and during harvest, I come up here to help with the harvest and/or take over ICN shipping!
She and her husband operate a small vineyard which grows cabernet, merlot, zinfandel and several other varieties to various wineries and home winemakers here in Nor Cal. It's a small family based business that goes back several generations and though it sounds romantic, it's very hard, dirty work and business has been difficult the past few years. The goal is simply to break even these days because there has been such a glut of grapes on the market.
In any case, today is the first day of harvest. My brother in law Brian is out in the vineyards behind the house driving the semi and loaders while his sisters stand on the tractor sorting grapes and pulling out grape leaves. The ranch foreman and his wife coordinate the hand picking. They also machine harvest at night if available.
My sis is out driving various winery representatives through the vineyards hoping that they will like what they see and :::crosses fingers::: praying that maybe they'll buy even more than last year. She started the morning early by driving another smaller tractor up and down the rows picking random bunches of grapes and doing sugar testing. The sugars have to be checked daily as various wineries have different preferences for how sweet they would like their grapes to be.
The great news is that the grapes look good. We've had no rain so we're not dealing with mildew... and also no devastatingly hot days which burn the vines and make raisins. So, it's looking good.
During my break from the computer, I also took a walk through her lovely garden. She has squash and tomatoes growing like mad. One small plot has about a dozen peach and apple trees of different varieties but, usually, the bugs get the peaches before they do. Then, on the otherside of the property, she has an amazing pear tree on a trellis and I was able to pick about a half dozen to take home along with some baking apples. Usually, we get just one or two because the birds just love them.
Her dog Ruby stands sentry over all, barking whenever a strange truck comes down the driveway. The highlight of the day for Ruby is when she and Jan get to walk down to the creek and the barn, where there are several goats. That, of course, is another story altogether. The goat cheese just didn't take off... but there are about six cute goats that are now basically pets. Now that my nephews are in college, there won't be anymore cattle or lambs in the barn.
In any case... it's just a gorgeous day.. the air is warm but that that first tinge of fall briskness. Trucks carrying full loads of grapes are driving by regularly.. which is very exciting. Let's for a safe harvest for all!
Jill :)
PS... this means that I'm not at my office though will be back later tonight for our guest lecture!
She and her husband operate a small vineyard which grows cabernet, merlot, zinfandel and several other varieties to various wineries and home winemakers here in Nor Cal. It's a small family based business that goes back several generations and though it sounds romantic, it's very hard, dirty work and business has been difficult the past few years. The goal is simply to break even these days because there has been such a glut of grapes on the market.
In any case, today is the first day of harvest. My brother in law Brian is out in the vineyards behind the house driving the semi and loaders while his sisters stand on the tractor sorting grapes and pulling out grape leaves. The ranch foreman and his wife coordinate the hand picking. They also machine harvest at night if available.
My sis is out driving various winery representatives through the vineyards hoping that they will like what they see and :::crosses fingers::: praying that maybe they'll buy even more than last year. She started the morning early by driving another smaller tractor up and down the rows picking random bunches of grapes and doing sugar testing. The sugars have to be checked daily as various wineries have different preferences for how sweet they would like their grapes to be.
The great news is that the grapes look good. We've had no rain so we're not dealing with mildew... and also no devastatingly hot days which burn the vines and make raisins. So, it's looking good.
During my break from the computer, I also took a walk through her lovely garden. She has squash and tomatoes growing like mad. One small plot has about a dozen peach and apple trees of different varieties but, usually, the bugs get the peaches before they do. Then, on the otherside of the property, she has an amazing pear tree on a trellis and I was able to pick about a half dozen to take home along with some baking apples. Usually, we get just one or two because the birds just love them.
Her dog Ruby stands sentry over all, barking whenever a strange truck comes down the driveway. The highlight of the day for Ruby is when she and Jan get to walk down to the creek and the barn, where there are several goats. That, of course, is another story altogether. The goat cheese just didn't take off... but there are about six cute goats that are now basically pets. Now that my nephews are in college, there won't be anymore cattle or lambs in the barn.
In any case... it's just a gorgeous day.. the air is warm but that that first tinge of fall briskness. Trucks carrying full loads of grapes are driving by regularly.. which is very exciting. Let's for a safe harvest for all!
Jill :)
PS... this means that I'm not at my office though will be back later tonight for our guest lecture!