Pick me, Crush me, Make me Wine!

Starting in August, we spent all of our spared time working in the vineyards. There were lots to do, from putting up the bird scare tapes, checking the grapes, testing the Brix (sugar) level, to thinning the grapes and adjusting watering levels. Since we do from A-Z as far as grape growing and winemaking at Mahogany Mountain Vineyard, this is our busiest time of the year as many tasks must be coordinated and done in a very short time.  I was able to apply my project/program management techniques!

We have a bumper crop this year. We don't know how we could have pulled it off without help from our families, neighbors, relatives and the Ramona Valley Vineyards Association's members.  One of our cousins, Hanni, who is originally from Europe, told us the story about how the whole village in an Italian town where her late husband's family lived would help out one another at harvest time, even when they hated one another and didn't speak to one another under normal circumstances, due to some old grudges.  They all would help each family harvest and had a meal together afterward, then went  home until the next harvest season!

Check out a new article on ramona.patch.com at the link listed below:

http://ramona.patch.com/articles/crush-time

(if the link does not work for you for some reasons, go to ramona.patch.com and look for the article, "Crush Time" written by Vincent Rossi)

Cheers!