Harvest Stories and Reports from El Dorado County Vineyard Owners

There’s a story that goes with every bushel of grapes harvested in El Dorado County.  The big story is that the grapes are wonderful this year, and members of the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association are counting their lucky stars.  When buyers pay up, they should be counting some good profits too.
 

Andy Standeven, who with wife Elizabeth Standeven, owns Shaker Ridge Vineyard, sent this recent harvest report and also a story that should help you understand a bit about the risk that family wine grape growers take every day.

Barbera harvest at Shaker Ridge

“On Wednesday, we picked 15 bins of beautiful-looking Barbera for 3 winery clients. All hands were on deck as we enlisted Elizabeth's mother to take our daughter to school, Elizabeth's father to drive a quad with bin trailer, and a retired neighbor to operate a forklift. Meanwhile, Elizabeth drove a tractor and Andy did fruit quality control and leaf removal, with 8 paid laborers picking grapes and dumping it into macro bins as fast as they could.

Barbera in bins

"Picking started at daybreak and continued in the hot sun, with few breaks, until 10 AM. Our first winery client's truck was loaded and drove off by 9:45 AM; meanwhile, we weighed fruit and hosed down bins and equipment until 1 PM when a second winery client picked up. We had arranged to haul fruit to the third winery, and our '89 Chevy pickup successfully delivered 2 bins over to that winery by 1 PM. But that would be the truck's last hurrah.

That dear old '89 Chevy pickup

"A couple hours later, on the return trip to the winery with the final bin, the truck was overheated by the side of the road with a broken water pump. It was over 2 miles and some 600 feet downhill from the vineyard in an area with no cell phone reception. As Andy started to jog home, a Good Samaritan neighbor who he had never met offered him a ride home. We called the client, and they agreed to send a truck for the last bin when they could.

"We received word that the winery's truck was on its way as we finished up a birthday dinner celebration for our daughter, who had had the misfortune of being born at harvest time 9 years earlier. As the sun's last rays faded, we could be seen pitch-forking half a ton of fruit into the client's truck by the side of the road. As exhausted as we were, the winery client had it worse, with a 45-minute drive ahead and crushing that would likely keep them busy until close to midnight. All in a day's work at harvest time...”

Shaker Ridge Vineyard is located in the El Dorado AVA on sloping, rocky clay loam soils at the 1,500 foot elevation.  Andy and Elizabeth farm three acres each of head-trained Barbera and Primitivo, and one acre of traditional port varietals featuring Touriga Nacional.  They manage their vineyard for low yield and high quality.

 

 

Harvest time at Mellowood

Linda Neal, owner of Mellowood Vineyard located in the Fair Play region of El Dorado County, sends this report:

“We are into the thrilling thick of harvest. The grapes are ripening quickly as men, women and equipment are being pushed to the limit to get the fruit in at the perfect moment.

"At Mellowood Vineyard a bit of Syrah has been picked for blush, while the remainder will be picked this upcoming week (anyone have a bin dumper for rent?).

"The Zinfandel will be right on the heels of the Syrah.

"Hold the rain until after please!”

Both Shaker Ridge and Mellowood are members of the El Dorado Wine Grape Growers Association