The rumors are true! Long Cliff’s crew has been out in the vineyard this week harvesting- rain or shine!!
We pick by hand, carrying lugs into the vineyard to be filled one by one. Once a lug has been filled it’s left behind in the row and collected at the end of the day.
Once harvested, the grapes are ran through the crusher, where the rollers break open the berry. Paddles inside knock the stems off and what’s left goes to the presser (if whites) or fermentation tanks (if reds).
Our reds ferment with the skins on them for about 10 days before it’s their turn at the press. Then they go into oak barrels for about 12 months, whereas our whites can go from harvest to the store front in about 6 months!
2012 was such a great growing year that 2013 should mean amazing things for the tasting room (;
But before we get too ahead of ourselves, it’s back to the vineyard because we’ve still got grapes to pick!
Long Cliff Vineyard & Winery, Inc. 