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Video: 2018 Harvest & Winemaking Process
Posted: Nov 1, 2018
Our 2018 harvest started on September 5th when we picked and processed our first lot of Sauvignon Blanc. Overall, the grapes this year matured later in the season than the past few years, so the only other varietals we brought into the winery that month were Viognier and Chardonnay.
Out of the 150 acres of grapevine we grow, 81% are red wine grapes. So, for us, harvest truly kicked off on October 12th when we started the red wine production. Our first day consisted of processing Syrah, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache Blanc, Merlot, Grenache, Counoise, and Mourvedre to follow. It was an intense month of harvesting grapes and processing the fruit. There were many days where we processed 10+ tons of grapes, with the busiest day a record 26 tons of Grenache! The final day of picking fruit was November 17th and we were able to get all of our fermenter bins pressed off by November 30th. We are truly excited by the quality, and quantity, of fruit we were able to harvest this year and look forward to sharing these wines with you in 2019 and 2020!
After harvest wrapped up, we focused on our vineyard’s soil, incorporating biodynamic preps and planting cover crops (mostly vetch, peas, and legumes). We then received a fair amount of rainfall the first week of December, and our estate is already looking more green!
Watch our winemaker, Steve Beckmen, discuss harvest time in the vineyard and winery, and take you step by step through the winemaking process for both our white wines and red wines.
Click here to learn more about the four wines released this quarter and watch Steve present each wine – how it was made, its flavors and aromas, surprising fun facts – for the very first time.
Want to see more of our videos? Check out the Beckmen Vineyards YouTube channel to view more videos from our winery and vineyard, as well as videos about our new wine releases.