Harvest  1999  October 11, 1999

The frenzy has begun! Good hangtimes on fruit have given maturing flavors--and sun, without rain, continues to improve numbers. We will be picking pinot noir and chardonnay TODAY from Stoller Vineyards, with Corral Creek scheduled for TOMORROW for contract purchasers.

Ridgecrest, being the highest altitude site, showed good but not great flavors yet and acids that are still a little bright.

In general, we look at numbers to give us minimums and then make the final "let's pick Wednesday" decision by taste.

The fruit also begins to "sag" a bit, berries being soft to the touch, the clusters capable of losing several berries if shaken, and the general appearance becoming not as photogenic as it was a few days before.

I am convinced that if pinot noir clusters look great, they are not yet ripe. Also, stem and seed coloration is a key to physiological maturity, looking riper the browner they get.

Well-hardened and browned stems are more appropriate for full-cluster pinot noir fermentations. In very good years we add up to 25% as clusters, without destemming. Expect us to do some whole cluster this year!

From sunny Oregon!!

Harry