#cellarrat

[drunkenwinemaker-blog]

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[winemakingexplained]

When the new guy tries to do micro breakdowns. #topping #winemaking #winemaker #napavalley #sonomavalley #intern #cellarrat #cellarmouse #cellartech #wine #winelover

[thumbprintcellars]

Post-Crush life

After a bit of a hiatus post harvest, I am finally back to writing about my thumbprint experience (if you want to catch up on what our winery is like and hear what it takes to make wine click here). I am also back to share thumbprint stories, events, news, fun, and - and again, when the time comes, harvest - with you.

Before I delve into what we have been up to lately and begin to share what is coming up at thumbprint, I want to take a moment to catch up since it has been so long. The post-crush life has treated us all well - we all have a life again, I’m no longer drowning in work orders to enter and file, and all in all things are much more quiet up at the winery. It is wicked cold in our building now though! No late summer sun that makes the cellars a nice relief. Now the whole building feels that cool! Now, days that I am at the winery  you can usually find me wearing sweatpants, multiple sweatshirts, and slippers to battle the concrete floor and metal walls! Scott brought a heater and rug for the office I work in though, so I stay nice and toasty!

Once we cleaned up after that last press load, which I shared, we officially begun our transition to the off-season. We have been doing rack and returns on our 2013 and 2014 vintages that are still aging, and have for the most part left the 2015′s alone. (A rack and return is emptying the  barrels into a tank and then barrel-ing it back down. While in tank, you can make adds, get it off anything that has settled in barrel, and see how the wine is aging. Its like a check up.) 

I find myself having moments where I miss the craziness and can’t believe I got to be apart of all that. (I’ve become very nostalgic and romantic about the constancy and the adventure of those days!) I am doing less actual work with the wine now, and focusing just on the paper-work and client stuff that I do, meaning my days have changed quite a bit. Despite this change, I think its safe to say we all like having our weekends and evenings back (friends! family! maybe even fun trips or activities!) Overall my first crush was fantastic, and I have the best team in the biz who got me through it all. I am already looking forward to the craziness that 2016 will bring. 

[thumbprintcellars]

Movin’ on up (and pretending I’m not terrified of the forklift)

[thumbprintcellars]

Rookie’s Log: Day 57

It has been eight weeks and 1 day since we brought in our very first lot - the chardonnay base for our sparkling - and today we are bringing in the last grapes we will process - some Charbono for one of our clients. I asked someone a while back, “When does harvest end? At what point?” wondering if it is when all the fruit is in, or when everything is pressed or barreled. We are marking that point as when we put our crusher/destemer away and that is going to happen tonight! We will process the Charbono this afternoon and from here on out it is just finishing up with the ferments we already have. 

I have loved working this harvest but I am (I think we all are) thrilled for things to slow down and to just be draining and pressing. The end is very near!!!

[thumbprintcellars]

Barreling down some of our Sciaini Cab!

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Don't stop believing

You know I'm hanging onto the feelin of that party, Jesus Christ I feel like I need to be baptized in beer, I found my calling. punk is what I need in life.