2007 Crush and Harvest Update
We are well into the 2007 Grape Harvest and Crush in the Yakima Valley. I'm already a month behind in updates which gives you some clue into how busy it has been out here. Granted, this year, I'm not the wide-eyed newbie. I have a bit more knowledge and a bit more experience, but that does not mean this year's crush will be any easier. I've said it many times: Winemaking is hard work. It's wet work. And while the hours are long and muscles are sore at the end of the day, I still find it rewarding and satisfying.

My sources tell me that the grape expression this year is marked with high brix and high acids. Good stuff to make good wine. The usual growing season was marked with gorgeous hot summer days but less 100 degree plus highs. Less sunburn for grapes? Maybe. However, the diurnal temperature differential was still high which made for the high acids. This combination makes winegrape growers and winemakers happy. I'm banking on 2007 to be another great year for Washington wine.

This week we brought in a few tons of Merlot grapes. Joining us on the hand-sort table were the good folks from Lark Restaurant. Jonathan, JM and crew with their many hands made for light work. K remarked that some of their best volunteers are restaurant folk. Something about chefs - they understand the need for process and cleanliness. Sous Chef, Christopher was handling the cleanup equipment between lug loads with an ease and expertise of an experienced crush crewmember, yet when I asked whether he had worked crush before, he blithely shrugged his shoulders and said, "no" as he aimed the hose and directed the water stream where he wanted like a Jedi Knight. Hmm. Still he has no reason to withhold information like that. We're all friends here. Anyway, I can appreciate it. I'm a "clean as I cook" kind of gal and winemaking is best when you "clean as you crush." I'm also a "snack as I sort" kinda gal and the fruit today was lush and ripe. Hardly any unwanted MOG (materials other than grape). Not that it matters. Every grape is hand-picked and hand-sorted. Tomorrow's Semillon will be a different story. The recent rains make conditions ripe for sour rot on the grapes, but it's also been very windy. Many of the grapes sourced around the Yakima Valley are on hillsides and good locations. We'll see what the flatbed brings.

Loved having the Lark crew. Made for some of the most memorable harvest dinners and lunches I've had in a while. The bouillabasse was to-die-for. The roux that went with it was also divine. I can't stop eating like this...oh well. You only live once and THIS is the way to live. I don't have Jonathan's recipe but if you're hungry, this is a version of it. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bouillabaisse/Detail.aspx except instead of saffron, use fresh dill. I'm obsessed with olive bread and that is a nice choice to go with this seafood soup. For lunch, everyone had grilled King Salmon with a fresh garden salad. I had a little but opted for more of last night's delicious soup.