September and October are a succession of long nights in the vineyards followed by even longer days at the winery. We pick all our fruit by hand, at night, because that’s when it’s coldest. We want the grapes to arrive at the winery as cold as possible because it keeps them fresher and inhibits spontaneous fermentation. We want the grapes to soak in their own juices for a few days (a process called “cold soak” or maceration) before starting fermentation to concentrate and intensify the flavor and color of the fruit.
