The grapes are turning color and the sugars are rising.  This is the time of the year when the months of tending pays off.   As I walk to the mailbox, I notice the color changing in the rows of Pinot I pass.  I am literally observing the fruits of Mark and Kayla's labor. 

We have started taking grape orders for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris.  All our grapes are u-pick.  Looks like harvest will begin around the end of the month, but you never know as it all depends on the weather.  Last year we began picking September 17th.

So now we wait.....  I'll keep you posted. 

This time of year, we finally get a rest from all the work involved in raising grapes.  Yesterday, I took a stroll through the vineyard with the dogs looking for some great colors.  Here's a few shots of the colors we found.

 The last of the grapes are scheduled to be harvested tomorrow.  The cab grapes will be picked by Bow&Arrow winery out of Portland.  We look forward to Scott Frank and his crew each year and thank the Teutonic Wine Company for introducing us to Scott and Dana owners of Bow&Arrow. 

After a short break from vineyard work, Mark will start pruning the vines for next year.  In the mean time we share the wine from previous harvests with fellow enthusiasts.  I am not the best with discussing the finer qualities of the wine we drink so I found this video by a friend especially funny.  Hope you see the humor in it as well.  .www.facebook.com/BorgoPassVineyard/videos/555156641357298/ 

Each September Mark checks the various plots in the vineyard to check the ripening of the grapes.  The best indicator of ripeness in my opinion is the arrival of the birds.  This year there are lots of berries and other fruit for the birds to eat which is usually good for keeping the birds busy elsewhere. I am still picking strawberries for my fruit salad each night and the plum tree is loaded. This morning on his "walk about" Mark discovered birds in the vineyard which means the sugars are rising.  Here's some pictures taken a last week.

With this warm weather, harvest will soon be upon us.  All the hard work of pruning, spraying and as Mark says "fondling" the grapes will finally pay off.  This is truly a labor of love.  This year we will have some pinot grapes available for a $1.45 a pound for under 500 pounds or $1.25 for over 500 pounds.  Our Cabernet, Meunier, Chardonnay, and Gris are already sold out.   Harvest is the highlight of our season when we get to see our vintner friends who join us once a year to celebrate the joys of wine.  We love the tradition of sharing a bottle of wine with each other. 

As I look out my window this afternoon, I see a slow misty fog descending upon the vineyard.  The south slope which holds the last heat of the summer sun is now blanketed in dewy drops of moisture.  The vines await their turn to be pruned. 

Each year shortly after harvest and the wine has been put to rest in oak barrels, the task of pruning the grape vines begins.   Mark will spend a number of hours each day from now until the harvest in October "fondling the grape vines".  He truly is "out standing in his field."  This vineyard is an act of love.