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My goal for this series ‘Harvest 2023’ is to discuss the physical and intellectual muscle required to make wines of quality and note. Adrice Wines in Woodinville, Washington, a women-owned winery with a woman winemaker, has agreed to allow me to follow winemaker Pam Adkins through the 2023 harvest. Pam Adkins, owner/winemaker, and Julie Bulrice, owner/sales and marketing, make award-winning wines from 20-plus grape varieties in multiple areas of the Columbia Valley in Washington State.  Pam Adkins, Adrice Wines, winemaker. by Lisa Kolick A bit of context for Washington state wine: many winemakers purchase grapes from vineyard growers rather than owning vineyards. Usually, winemakers have long-term contracts with vineyards and collaborate to produce grapes that will develop into the wines the winemaker seeks to create. Vineyard managers and their incredible staff are farmers who grow grape vines and manage them in winter, spring, and summer into fall harvest. This relationship between winemaker and grower has been the model in Washington since the 1970s when wine production began to expand.  Cabernet Sauvignon in veraison. Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Washington. by Lisa Kolick During the end of July and August, wineries and vineyards are getting ready for their busiest time of year, the harvest of Washington state wine grapes. I asked several winemakers what it takes to prepare for harvest; universally, their first response was “cleaning.” Every piece of equipment and its components must be inspected to ensure it is in good working order, then thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to be ready when the fruit arrives in the winery. Comments were, “Cleanliness is the most important aspect of winemaking and the least glamourous.”; and “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Keeping unwanted bacteria out of the winery is vital to making good wines. These are sentiments winemakers live by, but particularly during harvest. The staff inspects the crusher/de-stemmer gears and motors to ensure that grapes move through the first process without issues, then it's cleaned for harvest. The grape press is also inspected to ensure electronic controls and the press bladder work efficiently so grapes can be pressed to juice, meeting the winemaker’s specifications. Issues discovered with motorized equipment must be repaired quickly, so often, the winemaker or the cellar master is the repair person. In a winery that produces 3000 to 5000 cases of wine per year, you will likely find 3 or 4 pumps with 6 to 8 hoses of long lengths, many valves, and multiple collars of varying sizes, all required to move grape juice/wine between the press, fermenters, tanks, and barrels. All items must be in proper working order with no leaks or faulty parts; everything must be cleaned, sanitized, and stored until required. Continuing with the to-do list, in no particular order, stainless steel tanks must be cleaned and sanitized. At Adrice Wines, there are about eight tanks to be scrubbed clean and sanitized by someone climbing into the tank to do the work. Then there are the fermenters, each holding about 1 ton of grapes/juice. There are 15-20, and all must be cleaned and sanitized. Every time a vessel is emptied during harvest, or anytime for that matter, it must be cleaned and sanitized, including the hoses, clamps, collars, and valves. From August through December, it is never-ending work.  Barrels at Adrice Wines. by Lisa Kolick Most tasks are completed in the winery facility. However, for Adrice Wines, picking bins are stored in vineyards. The picking bins are cleaned, sanitized, and distributed to vineyards where Pam purchases grapes for the vineyard workers to fill during harvest. This work often happens during Pam’s vineyard visits when surveying grape conditions and maturity. Harvest began at Adrice Wine’s custom crush operation on August 21st with Sauvignon Blanc from Red Mountain, an AVA near Benton City, WA. White wine grapes generally ripen before red grapes. Next, we discuss preparations for harvest in the vineyard. Cheers!  Pam Adkins, winemaker driving the forklift. Ryan Lowell moving grapes into the hopper. by Lisa Kolick Comments are closed.
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