There are some things in life that you just have to try once, and there are those things that become tradition after you do them a few times. Crush is probably going to be one of those things that become a fall tradition for my family, thanks to Robert and Missy at Van der Vijver Estate.This past Sunday morning, I got the family out of bed by 6:00AM, so we could be out of the house by 7:00AM to head down to Fair Play. The moans and groans, including those coming from my wife were plenty, but once we got there, and started picking grapes, those moans had turned to laughter! Of course, giving a 3 1/2 year old and a 7 year old a very sharp, 4 inch knife to wield on their own may have had something to do with it! So after careful instruction on the proper use of the knife, the family hit the vineyard! We were one of a few other families working to harvest the Van der Vijver Estate Tempranillo.
Crush is the time of year when the fruit is ready to yield its juice to the winemaker, and therefore, need to be harvested from the field. The name comes from the need to gently crush the fruit to extract the juice, allowing it to ferment, and in the case of reds, touch the skin to pick up some of the brilliant pigments. All small family wineries all over the world, whole clusters of gently crushed fruit are sitting in square, white bins, fermenting all the sugars in the juice and becoming very young wine. But first, the fruit needs to be taken from the vineyard!
That process starts with the curved knife in the vineyard! Once the clusters are cut from the vine, they are put into buckets at the grape pickers feet. The adults were using the 5 or 6 gallon size paint buckets, and the kids were using little pails. Once the bucket is full, it is hand carried 
through the narrow vineyard to the awaiting bin, which in this case was on the back of a pickup truck. Bucket after bucket is dumped into the bin, until it is full and tips the scales at about 1000 lbs of fruit. On this morning, the dozen or so people in the vineyard picked about 3 tons of fruit before lunch. Robert's family is from Holland and his mom and dad had just arrived the night before at 11:00PM, and both were up and in the vineyard, after that long flight by 7:00AM! Amazing!
through the narrow vineyard to the awaiting bin, which in this case was on the back of a pickup truck. Bucket after bucket is dumped into the bin, until it is full and tips the scales at about 1000 lbs of fruit. On this morning, the dozen or so people in the vineyard picked about 3 tons of fruit before lunch. Robert's family is from Holland and his mom and dad had just arrived the night before at 11:00PM, and both were up and in the vineyard, after that long flight by 7:00AM! Amazing! By 10:00AM, the boys had had their fill of picking grapes, and were off exploring the vineyards and chasing dragonflies. My wife Lauren was really getting into it, and became quite proficient, but the long hikes with full buckets were really taking their toll on her, and she was getting sore bending down and stooping to get the low hanging fruit. We got an amazing feel for the families that actually do this to make ends meet in vineyards all over California, and left with much respect for the back-breaking labor involved with producing small batch, hand crafted wines.
Lunch rolled around about noon, and the group of hungry grape pickers were treated to a grand lunch prepared by Robert's wife Missey and his mom. A hearty meatball soup and a crisp egg fritata were served outside under the oak trees and the afternoon could not have been more complete! The wines were fantastic and the food was amazing, perfect for a working crew to get more energy before heading out onto the vineyard once more! Unfortunately for Lauren and I, our 3 1/3 year old was spent, and in need of a nap. The rest of the families and friends stayed behind and worked until sun down. I explained to the kids that next year, we will stay the entire day to help finish the vineyard. Jacob was fine with that, since he really enjoyed his day in the vineyard. I don't remember a moment of the day when he did not have a bunch of grapes in his hand and mouth! 
As a side note, you may be wondering how you to can participate in a local winery crush. In most cases, you will have had to cultivate a relationship with the winery owner, and one of the best ways to do that is to join the wineries Wine Club, and come to the Wine Club only events and functions. Many times the winery will have a day set aside where wine club members can get into the vineyard and help pick grapes! Not all wineries allow this, but it is worth finding those that do! You will be tired at the end of the day, but the experience is well worth it!
Posts
