Torr Na Lochs Vineyard - Grape Picking
Today, we went with Kay and Randy, and about 10 other people, to pick the Petite Sirah grapes at the Torr Na Lochs vineyard in Burnet. It took us about two hours to pick close to two tons of grapes. After picking, we learned about and assisted with the crush. The grapes were run though a machine that removed the stems, crushed the grapes, and moved them into a giant vat where enzymes and other ingredients were added to begin the fermenting process. At some point, the Petite Sirah grapes will be added to the regular Sirah grapes which had already been picked and processed. This wine will be ready to drink in two to three years.
After processing the grapes we had a chef prepared lunch with the vineyard owners, Blake and Karen DeBerry, and a few of the other pickers. Each course was paired with one of their wines. After that, a nice nap was required.
Sunrise - Texas Hill Country Vineyard
We started our picking day early to get a jump on the heat. We picked from 7:30 until 9:30 and it was a beautiful day.
A Good Day’s Work
After two hours of steady, but fairly easy work, we gathered and weighed the group’s harvest. It was close to two tons which will make about 200 bottles of wine…so we were told.