The first grapes are in...now what?

Harvest 2009 officially kicked off for Paradigm Winery last Thursday, with just over two tons of Cabernet and a shy ton of Cab Franc taking the lead in the 2009 vintage. Though just a small percentage of what we’ll harvest this year, it’s enough to get us back into the familiar pattern of early mornings, rounds of punch downs and pumpovers, perennially sticky hands and soggy feet, and grape shrapnel turning up in every odd place.

The Zinfandel will be our next project, hopefully ready to harvest by the start of next week. Zinfandel can be infuriating – uneven ripening will have some berries puckering into raisins while others in the same cluster still taste tart and bland. We watch the canopy and sigh with forced patience as we wait for the slowpokes, worrying over dehydration and willing the vine to get its act together. It always does, eventually.

The mornings are growing progressively colder, there are more oak leaves in the driveway than there were last week, and the valley glows in that special way made possible only by slanted autumnal sunlight. The other morning I arrived at work just in time to watch the sunrise. The pale sky above me was dotted with hot air balloons at staggered altitudes, some close enough to see small faces peering over the edge of the baskets. Though I sometimes wonder if what I do for a living is the best or the worst way to enjoy my favorite season, at that moment the answer was unquestionably clear.

Molly Lippitt, Paradigm Winery

Pumping out those Pump-Overs

Our estate fruit is coming in at a steady pace. About one-third of the vines still have fruit, and within the next week we expect to pick the remaining lots of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon for our VIADER proprietary red blend, and Petit Verdot which is the main component in our "V" petit verdot blend.

Currently we have several fermentations going. To keep things fresh and for style, we use a variety of fermentation vessels including the more traditional stainless steel, concrete, and even single barrels. To ferment in the barrels, the heads need to be popped out, and the bungs tightly wedged in. Shown here is our Malbec, from young vines that produced barely 15 gallons this year.

The pump-overs and punch-downs are now a part of daily life in the cellar, and are even part of the "nightlife." Alan was here until at least 10:00pm last night! Why he didn't call his little sis' to come help is beyond me...

I've also attached a small video of our cellar assistant performing a pump-over of the Syrah. Look at that beautiful color. And it smells and tastes delicious. The caves are whirling with the "intoxicating" (for lack of a better word) airs of primary fermentation.

All the best,

Janet Viader

sales & marketing at VIADER

P.S. At the end of the video I ask Maurilio to "sonrei te" which means "smile" in Argentine Spanish. Who knew he was camera shy! :)