Mother Nature has her own timing but if you watch closely she will reveal hints. It’s a crisp, fall morning and the nets are covering the vines. You notice that birds are tirelessly trying to break the mesh to get a tasty treat. Once those droves of birds come in it’s time to pay particular attention to how the fruit is evolving. As you walk through the vineyard you start to see the colors of some of the leaves beginning to tire from the season, changing from bright green to a pale yellow. The stems that feed the clusters of berries start to change color and texture. You selectively grab individual berries from each row of vines, tasting the flavors and chewing the seeds. The seeds are brown, crunchy, with nutty flavor and the skins reveal bright fruit flavors It’s now the time of year a winemaker is on-call and ready to schedule harvest and begin the new vintage.
