The Path To Ripening Begins
As we transition from Summer to Fall, the fruit starts to accumulate sugar, and finishes its transition to full ripening
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Our Cabernet takes on a lush, rich color as we near harvest
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The beauty of ripening clusters hanging on the vine
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Open to light, but protected from the direct sun, these clusters slowly ripen
This is a fun time to taste the fruit as it nears harvest...like eating small pieces of fruit candy...rich in sugar and flavor
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Our Chardonnay takes on a rich, golden hue as it nears perfection
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From The Vineyard To The Winery
The basal leaves start to turn color, their job finished as the fruit near ripeness
It is hard work, as the picking bins are brought off our steep hillside on a small trailer, and then transferred to Macro Bins
Business end of restored 1972 Peterbilt
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A bin of hand harvested fruit sits on the ground waiting to be dumped into half ton Macro bins for transport to the winery
This is a 24 ton load of Carneros Chardonnay loaded up and being tied down for its journey to the winery. Not Wicker Vineyards Chardonnay...this is five times our entire Chardonnay production on one truck
Business side of my office during harvest
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It's a multi-step process: Picking bins, to Macro bins, to the truck, to the winery
Picking our Wicker Vineyards Chardonnay at night to get it to the cool fruit to the winery early in the morning
Chardonnay ripe and ready
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