Is it Wine Yet??

The image at the left is what I've been staring at for the past week!  For the uninitiated, this is the guts of a bladder wine press.  This is what you get after you press the juice off the skins.  And I can tell you from experience that this press was making a Rosé, as the skins are red.  Normally, red wine is not pressed initially but after fermentation.

Yes, Harvest is at hand.  Some of our warmer sites, here in the Umpqua Valley have already harvested the early ripening varities, such as Pinot Gris and Müller Thurgau.  Other cooler sites are giving the fruit a few more weeks to gain as much ripeness as possible.  All in all, the news is better than we had expected given the cold wet Spring. 

This is a great time to visit the local wineries.  Just keep in mind that you may not get a lot of attention from the winemaker!  Yet it is fun to see the process of winemaking in action.  Stay out of the way but enjoy the flurry of activity!