Tag Archives: Diary of a cellar rat
Diary of a Cellar Rat: Harvest is Done
Wait let me get this straight, Californians elected Jerry Brown governor and to keep weed illegal? Is it 1974? Coming back to the real world after harvest is a little odd. You find yourself with the luxury of a two … Continue reading
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This rat is now full time
Hola amigos, long time since I rapped at ya I know but I’ve been knee deep in lees and other winery muck. But the good news: the fine fellows over at Starmont have brought me on full time. Now I … Continue reading
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At the winery
Harvest is long gone, but I’m still working at the winery. I’m proud and thankful that my harvest internship has gone well into the winter. Right now we’re pulling lots of samples from the finished ’09 wines, most of which … Continue reading
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Communication breakdown
As an intern in the cellar of a Napa winery, most of my colleagues are Mexican. My Spanish is terrible, but most of my coworkers have solid English skills. However, this doesn’t mean that communication between my self and other … Continue reading
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Digging out
As harvest winds down, each day we’re digging out more and more tanks. Red wine ferments with the whole grape. The juice and colors of the grapes are extracted during fermentation leaving behind the skins and other materials, such as … Continue reading
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The final push
As I walked out of the cellar on a warm afternoon last week, I noticed the crush pad was quiet. It struck me as odd, because the grape crew had been working well into early evening lately. I figured it … Continue reading
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Attack of the yellow jackets!
One hazard of working harvest that I had not expected was swarms of yellow jackets high on grape juice. All of the processing equipment at Starmont is located outside, and as we crush grapes the juice and grape skins attract … Continue reading
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Midway and a moment of reflection
The rows of vines that once were covered in leaves of brilliant shades of green are now spotted with orange, red or dusty brown. Mornings are much colder and foggier and the coolness persists through the weaker sunshine of the … Continue reading
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Two very different kinds of tastings
One recent afternoon the head of winemaking operations took myself and the two other interns at Starmont winery for a tasting of this harvest’s juice. It was a pleasant and informative experience as we walked through the cellar sampling various … Continue reading
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It’s a 24-hour industry
As I drive through the vineyards to the winery in the morning, the sky is painted in light shades of blue and orange as the sun begins its ascent. The edges of my high beams catch groups of vineyard workers … Continue reading
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