What's going on in your winery today..

[goldseal]

Well done Rob

[goldseal]

Yesterday: a long bottling session, taking the contents of 12 DJs of various sizes and putting them in 59 bottles.

Mainly Grapefest 2011 and 2012 reds and rosés. I'm particularly chuffed with my 2011 Sangiovese. I feared I'd lose most of it to H2S (a bit late treating it), but it has turned out to be one of my best wines to date. I have a rather good (IMO) Sangiovese/Merlot blend, which will probably appear at Grapefest 2014.

This hasn't helped me clearing room for my 2013 Grapfest fermenters, because unfortunately empty Djs take up exactly the same amount of space as full ones

[fatbloke]

-----snip-----
This hasn't helped me clearing room for my 2013 Grapfest fermenters, because unfortunately empty Djs take up exactly the same amount of space as full ones

Sky hooks ?

[Cellar_Rat]

Sky hooks ?

I reckon less DJ's & more carboys. Shiney vriable capacity tanks even!

[goldseal]

Nothing going on today. Nothing tomorrow either.

This is Not Good.

Normally by this time all my Grapefest stuff is cleaned, packed and ready to load into the car.

This year nothing will happen until Friday morning. Fingers crossed I haven't forgotten anything.

[DaveH]

Nothing going on today. Nothing tomorrow either.

This is Not Good.

Normally by this time all my Grapefest stuff is cleaned, packed and ready to load into the car.

This year nothing will happen until Friday morning. Fingers crossed I haven't forgotten anything.

Ditto. Can't sort much out as :

A) The car is being picked up tomorrow morning to be taken to the body shop for repair (long story!!).
B) REALLY REALLY busy at work at the mo (12/13 hour days is norm at the moment)

Hopefully, the car will be back for friday. Then it's a case of sort everything out, pack car, go to work for a few hours Saturday morning, jump on the A1 and fly up to Yorkshire. Damn you work!!!!

[NorthernWiner]

Lots going on here. We picked about 350 lbs of local grapes last weekend - 120 white and 225 red. All happily fermenting away. Next weekend I'm picking my own grapes, plus have another 150 lbs of whites coming from a local vineyard. Then another 30 gallons of white juice on the 29th. The first week of October, I'm taking delivery of 500 lbs Cab Sauvignon and Cab Franc from out west in Washington state. Further down the road, there are 350 lbs of frozen Pinot Noir grapes arriving from Sonoma, California in the November/December timeframe.


Busy busy year.

[Cellar_Rat]

Further down the road, there are 350 lbs of frozen Pinot Noir r.

350lbs! What sort of drum do they come in?

[NorthernWiner]

350lbs! What sort of drum do they come in?

Brian, there are a couple of options when you order, but I prefer having them split into 20 liter HDPE pails. As I recall they are made by a North American company called Ropak. I can also get 50 gallon drums, but not having easy access to a forklift I find the pails to be much more manageable. Each pail holds roughly 50 pounds.

[lockwood1956]

Sorted the crusher destemmer for Saturday (was stuck and needed persuasion to work)

tested the pressure washer (didnt work) and couldn't fix, so new one ordered and picking up on thursday after work.

sorted the order and delivery, and moved the curry booking to 8pm

need a wine!

[goldseal]

RC212 and BM4x4 starters on the go for GF. About to go into Headless Chicken Mode

[goldseal]

Everything packed in the car. Ready to roll

[DaveH]

Everything packed in the car. Ready to roll

Top banana! See you tomorrow dude!

[Rich]

Well, not so much today, but the last few weeks has been sorting out the garage, and shifting stuff down to the new shed to make some room. So I can now move in the winery and I've off loaded my old 5 gallon all grain kit to my neighbour over the road, and done a brew with him to show him the ropes of what it's all about.

[NorthernWiner]

Lots of stuff going on today. My Marquette has finished fermenting, so I'll transfer it into an American oak barrel and inoculate for MLF. But first I have to play musical barrels. 30 gals 2012 Merlot is coming out of two barrels and being blended (will bottle next weekend), and being replaced with 2012 Syrah and 2013 Marquette.

I was going to pick grapes today, but they are still not quite ripe. I think next weekend I'll have to either use 'em or lose 'em to possible frost. If they are still under ripe, I may just press them and make a big batch of rosé. You know that saying, "when life gives you lemons"...