2021 Fall Harvest

Happy Thanksgiving.  

For us, this time of year coincides with winemaking, and it seemed fitting that we were working on the new Syrah, Sunday, before my mother-in-law arrived for Thanksgiving supper.  In the last month, we've bottled Sauvignon Blanc, harvested, crushed, fermented, and pressed the 2021 Syrah. We've been busy.

Indian Jesuit and psychotherapist Anthony de Mello once said "All is well. All is well. Though everything is a mess, all is well." - a fitting epithet for our winemaking, this year. Although we experienced the usual chaos of minutia, the grapes did in fact turn into wine.  But, the fruit was a month earlier than expected with almost no advance warning; we had some stressful days confirming a carrier to ship the grapes from Washington to Fort Langley; we endured the usual and awkward dance with government agencies to get our import permit; our volunteers pretty much had to drop everything personal and professional to help with crush (including one flying in from Quebec); and, we had to figure out how to protect our newly renovated garage (think tv & games room) from the wet, purple, sticky and goopy process that is fermentation.

After fermenting, we pressed the wine off of the grapes skins on October 2nd.  Wine that comes off the press usually has all the components of a finished wine but is rough and unpolished - sort of like a bratty teenager (we have two).  It usually needs a bit of aging before an enjoyable consumption. So, I was amused and surprised when Anita brought out a few bottles and carafes to be filled with the last few litres to come off the press.  Apparently, we were going Beausoleil Nouveau with the 2021 Syrah. 

Here's the thing about that press wine - it was pretty good.  We even shared it with neighbours and a club member.  Everyone enjoyed it.  I can only imagine that the fully aged and bottled 2021 Syrah is going to be outstanding.  

And, the garage survived unscathed thanks mainly to scads of poly on everything and the liberal use of cardboard on the floor.  The Syrah will continue to occupy this space for another month or so before taking up residence in oak barrels in the cellar.

A few pictures tell the story of the last month.  

Our son helping with Sauvignon Blanc bottling (inserting 300 corks)

Bottles on the filling machine

Full Sauvignon Blanc cases laid out for wax topping

Filled bottles awaiting their corks

Closeup of the filler, front and back lables

Syrah!

Crusher and tanks ready to start

The new garage protected by poly and cardboard

Crushing underway!

With fermentation complete, getting ready to press (two weeks after crush)

One week after pressing the wine is racked (transferred) to new tanks in order to leave behind the gross lees (dead yeast) that accumulates on the bottom of the tank.  Failure to remove the gross lees can result in rotting and general spoilage of the wine.  I also enjoyed a Giants vs Dodgers game while working!

I used a "splash racking" technique to get a bit more oxygen into the wine.  New Syrah wine can sometimes chemically reduce into really smelly sulphur compounds (i.e., mercaptan) in the absence of oxygen.  Splash racking is good insurance against this unfortunate possibility.

Bottom of a tank being drained.  Gross lees are visible like mud at the top of the picture with wine showing at the bottom, as it was being pumped out of the tank.

And, finally, the garage is restored!