This week, we pressed two tanks of Pinotage, harvested Viognier, Pinotage, and did random cleaning to kill time. The pace is slower than what I'm used to for a harvest. Even when we receive grapes, there's still time to sit around and complain about things. There are only five vineyard blocks left, so we will probably have more slow days ahead of us.
My parents left for Hawaii and saw the Kileaua volcano, while I got to go to lovely Worcester, which has a mall! That's what passes for excitement around here. Living on a farm can be pretty dull, and there's no entertainment in Robertson. Alfred, Lorena and I also went wine tasting at a place down the river, which only produces about 1,200 gallons, or eight tons of grapes. That's the smallest winery I've ever heard of. The wine was decent but the woman there wouldn't shut up. She mentioned that a Swedish woman stayed on her farm for a week. It was the same Swedish woman who called Bon Cap asking to work for a few days just to see what it was like. She worked with "alternative medicine" in Zimbabwe and was bicycling through South Africa with her husband. I can make a guess as to what type of person she was. We then had Alfred over for dinner of Spanish tortilla.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Friday was slow, meaning we did some cleaning in the cellar. At least they served a burger and fries for lunch. It made me feel at home. We did pump-overs on the weekend, so we could only get off the farm for a few hours on Saturday. We went wine tasting at two places. The first was smaller and good and the second was very big and not so good. Springfield Winery used wild yeasts for more complexity in the Chardonnay and Cabernet. The Sauvignon Blanc had a lot of mineral flavors because the vineyard is in a quartz field. Rooiberg Winery is across the road and not very exciting, but at $4 a bottle I shouldn't expect much. Dinner was chicken in a Spanish sauce called poll pepertoria, and it was amazing.
No one showed up to the Sunday lunch but us, so I ate as much as I could and fell asleep afterward. The highlights were ribs and lemon meringue pie. Today, we pressed all of the Colombard, but it came in at 17 brix instead of 20 which we sampled it at, so Marinus said he may have to add sugar.
No one showed up to the Sunday lunch but us, so I ate as much as I could and fell asleep afterward. The highlights were ribs and lemon meringue pie. Today, we pressed all of the Colombard, but it came in at 17 brix instead of 20 which we sampled it at, so Marinus said he may have to add sugar.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
We filled the separator with Shiraz and Merlot and left it for one day to make rose. So many grapes came in that we had to pump some of the juice out of the separator to make space for all of them. Luckily the juice tasted better than the grapes looked, because the Shiraz had clusters with both unripe berries and raisins.
The next day, we took in a small block of Pinotage and cleaned the separator. It was a long day, but we were busy and I felt like I was in harvest. Unfortunately instead of staying late, Marinus prefers to wake up earlier, so on busy days we go in at 6 or 6:30 and still leave at five, without overtime.
Today we drained and pressed our first two tanks of Pinotage and added yeast to the third tank to start the fermentation. One of the vineyard workers from Zimbabwe came into the cellar to help us. Mostly, he shovelled grapes. I went into one of the tanks to help dig it out and it was the worst I have ever felt from CO2. Marinus likes the Pinotage to have a little sugar left when it goes to the press, so it was still fermenting a bit. It didn't feel good, but I made it out fine and I won't volunteer for another Pinotage tank. The press broke just as we finished the last load, so there is someone here from Stellenbosch right now fixing it. I joked with Marinus that he might not know how because it is a 40-year-old screw press, one of only four working ones in South Africa. He complained that the technician charged 5 rand per kilometer ($1.00 per mile) and 150-200 rand per hour ($20-27).
The weather was cool and rainy all day. It reminded me of winter, but it is a nice break from 100+ degree heat.
The next day, we took in a small block of Pinotage and cleaned the separator. It was a long day, but we were busy and I felt like I was in harvest. Unfortunately instead of staying late, Marinus prefers to wake up earlier, so on busy days we go in at 6 or 6:30 and still leave at five, without overtime.
Today we drained and pressed our first two tanks of Pinotage and added yeast to the third tank to start the fermentation. One of the vineyard workers from Zimbabwe came into the cellar to help us. Mostly, he shovelled grapes. I went into one of the tanks to help dig it out and it was the worst I have ever felt from CO2. Marinus likes the Pinotage to have a little sugar left when it goes to the press, so it was still fermenting a bit. It didn't feel good, but I made it out fine and I won't volunteer for another Pinotage tank. The press broke just as we finished the last load, so there is someone here from Stellenbosch right now fixing it. I joked with Marinus that he might not know how because it is a 40-year-old screw press, one of only four working ones in South Africa. He complained that the technician charged 5 rand per kilometer ($1.00 per mile) and 150-200 rand per hour ($20-27).
The weather was cool and rainy all day. It reminded me of winter, but it is a nice break from 100+ degree heat.
Monday, February 14, 2011
More grapes!
After we received the rest of the Chardonnay on Thursday, a big thunderstorm passed by. It was pouring down rain in the valley next to us, but we only got a few sprinkles. Marinus told us to wait and watch the storm before we went out to the vineyard for samples. At the end of the day he told us we'd start at 4:30am the next morning for the Pinotage, then came by our house after dinner to tell us the grapes would be there at 4am, so he'd pick us up at 3:50am. He showed up at 3:40am to take us to work and two tractor-trailers full of grapes were waiting for us. I guess I just don't understand life on a farm. They prefer to get things done early rather than stay late. Toward the end of the day the tanks were full before the vineyard was completely harvested, so we waited for the hand-picked fruit to show up and saw that the vineyard workers were standing around talking instead of picking grapes. They have to walk behind the mechanical harvester to pick whatever it misses. The pickers usually get off work at 5pm, so they were in no hurry to finish. Before we left work, we took three bottles of wine and two weeks' salary ($143US).
On the weekend, we went to town only for groceries and spent the rest of the time on the farm. We did pump-overs on the two tanks of Pinotage, went swimming, and I sent emails to wineries in Central Otago, New Zealand to possibly work another harvest after this one. I also emailed a few contacts who might be able to help me out. So far I've only got four emails back, all telling me I'm too late. One place said they'd be finished in March because it has been such a hot summer. From what I've read, mid-April is the average start to harvest there.
Back at work today we did pump-overs and took samples. This week, we will harvest Shiraz and Merlot for pink wine, Viognier, and Pinotage with more to come next week. Alfred said last year all the grapes were in by early March, so we should be pretty busy for the next two to three weeks. The two tanks of Pinotage will be pressed on Thursday, which is five days after they were inoculated. That is very fast for a fermentation, but Marinus said he likes to press before the wine is completely dry to avoid acetate odors that are characteristic of Pinotage.
On the weekend, we went to town only for groceries and spent the rest of the time on the farm. We did pump-overs on the two tanks of Pinotage, went swimming, and I sent emails to wineries in Central Otago, New Zealand to possibly work another harvest after this one. I also emailed a few contacts who might be able to help me out. So far I've only got four emails back, all telling me I'm too late. One place said they'd be finished in March because it has been such a hot summer. From what I've read, mid-April is the average start to harvest there.
Back at work today we did pump-overs and took samples. This week, we will harvest Shiraz and Merlot for pink wine, Viognier, and Pinotage with more to come next week. Alfred said last year all the grapes were in by early March, so we should be pretty busy for the next two to three weeks. The two tanks of Pinotage will be pressed on Thursday, which is five days after they were inoculated. That is very fast for a fermentation, but Marinus said he likes to press before the wine is completely dry to avoid acetate odors that are characteristic of Pinotage.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Harvest Time
On Monday, we harvested the rest of the Sauvignon Blanc by 11am, but finished cleaning by 5pm. The separator took the most time. It is a rectangle about 15 feet tall and comes to a point at the bottom where the free run juice comes out. It is difficult to clean because all of the wet skins need to come out a small door at the bottom. So I climbed into this uncomfortable device and soaked myself in water while getting the grapes out. I enjoyed it because it's something I couldn't do at any other job. And I probably never will again because no modern wineries use the inefficient separators anymore.
Our clothes came back from the store with labels of the winery on them. They say Bon Cap, harvest 2011, and on the back, "Think like a grape." I don't know who's bright idea that one was.
The next day we took samples from eight vineyards and I pressure washed the press. Marinus racked a tank of Sauvignon Blanc after one day of keeping it cold, losing about 500 gallons of lees. I wondered if leaving it for longer would have decreased the loss, but I just kept my mouth shut and assumed he knew what he was doing because he's the winemaker.
Today, we received one block of Chardonnay instead of two because 1)A wheel on one of the tractors almost fell off because it was too wobbly, so we had to shovel half of the load into the other trailer; 2)The tractor pulling the harvester broke down and they had to fix it; 3)The arm on the harvester broke off. It was an interesting day. Marinus warned me that they had a bad track record with harvesting Chardonnay. When filling one of the tanks, the door leaked until we opened it up and re-closed it. To press the Chardonnay, Marinus only squeezed it twice which was very fast but left the grapes wet, which I've always been told is a bad thing because it is wasting juice. But again, he's the winemaker not me. But it seems like everything here is inefficient. I'm beginning to understand why they can't afford new barrels.
Our clothes came back from the store with labels of the winery on them. They say Bon Cap, harvest 2011, and on the back, "Think like a grape." I don't know who's bright idea that one was.
The next day we took samples from eight vineyards and I pressure washed the press. Marinus racked a tank of Sauvignon Blanc after one day of keeping it cold, losing about 500 gallons of lees. I wondered if leaving it for longer would have decreased the loss, but I just kept my mouth shut and assumed he knew what he was doing because he's the winemaker.
Today, we received one block of Chardonnay instead of two because 1)A wheel on one of the tractors almost fell off because it was too wobbly, so we had to shovel half of the load into the other trailer; 2)The tractor pulling the harvester broke down and they had to fix it; 3)The arm on the harvester broke off. It was an interesting day. Marinus warned me that they had a bad track record with harvesting Chardonnay. When filling one of the tanks, the door leaked until we opened it up and re-closed it. To press the Chardonnay, Marinus only squeezed it twice which was very fast but left the grapes wet, which I've always been told is a bad thing because it is wasting juice. But again, he's the winemaker not me. But it seems like everything here is inefficient. I'm beginning to understand why they can't afford new barrels.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
A weekend on the farm
On Friday, we took samples from eight vineyards then quickly ran out of things to do. When we asked the boss what to do he said, "You must think of something."
Lorena and I moved back into the big house and Tina left a tart and fresh figs for us before she and Rudolph left for their house on the coast. On Saturday the post office told me they didn't know where my package is, and gave me two phone numbers for Cape Town customs. If I can make it from one place to another, why can't a cardboard box?
On the way home, we stopped at Graham Beck for bubbly and some good red wines. It was the most expensive winery I've seen so far, but the wines were good and the highest price was US$30. The sparkling wine was more fruity than yeasty and the still red wines were very concentrated and delicious. A couple blends were very good: Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc and a Cab, Pinotage, Petit Verdot. The guy behind the bar was easily the best I've seen in South Africa. He was very friendly and helpful, and gave us whatever we wanted for free after I mentioned that we work at a winery down the road. Lorena had trouble understanding his English, but could still tell that he was gay. Maybe job listings for customer service positions should mention that they would like to hire gay people because they are the friendliest.
Lorena made paella and Spanish tortilla (fritada) for dinner. It was very good, especially with the wine she brought from Spain. It was a white blend of Godello and dona blanco from a winery she worked for in the Bierzo region (dona should have a wavy accent over the n). It was very complex with a slight sweet flavor, even though the wine was dry. Marinus talked about some social behavior in South Africa and they seem to be similar to how I think of the 1950s. The differences mostly seem to come from religion. They marry young because they are very opposed to sex before marriage, they won't do gay marriages at the winery because they would get a bad reputation in the area, and the attitude that change is bad. The separation of blacks and whites may not be religion-based, but it is 60 years in the past in the US. If Marinus didn't tell me his beliefs on these issues, I wouldn't have guessed that was how he felt. This is only one group of people that I've been exposed to, but it seems pretty common among the white South Africans. Any change that is taking place is coming from the outside and is mostly based in the cities.
After dinner, the wedding party had moved to the pool, so Lorena and I joined them. I ended up talking with some South Africans while Lorena found an Italian woman to speak Spanish with because the groom and his friends were from Italy. One of the guys cannon-balled into the pool and someone decided to put a canoe into the pool. We left around 3am, but some of them stayed later. The next morning, most of them were not walking in a straight line.
Sunday brunch was delicious and filling. The kitchen staff baked good bread instead of the crap that's in the supermarket. I still can't find a decent loaf of french bread or sourdough. I saw asparagus for the first time since I left home, and there was of course meat and potatoes.
I have a couple of good quotes from Marinus to show what a fun guy he is. To describe the owner's dog he said, "It looks like it's got one foot on a banana peel and one the grave." And when talking about a "crazy bitch" who used to work at the bistro, "She's the kind of person you'd run over twice."
Lorena and I moved back into the big house and Tina left a tart and fresh figs for us before she and Rudolph left for their house on the coast. On Saturday the post office told me they didn't know where my package is, and gave me two phone numbers for Cape Town customs. If I can make it from one place to another, why can't a cardboard box?
On the way home, we stopped at Graham Beck for bubbly and some good red wines. It was the most expensive winery I've seen so far, but the wines were good and the highest price was US$30. The sparkling wine was more fruity than yeasty and the still red wines were very concentrated and delicious. A couple blends were very good: Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc and a Cab, Pinotage, Petit Verdot. The guy behind the bar was easily the best I've seen in South Africa. He was very friendly and helpful, and gave us whatever we wanted for free after I mentioned that we work at a winery down the road. Lorena had trouble understanding his English, but could still tell that he was gay. Maybe job listings for customer service positions should mention that they would like to hire gay people because they are the friendliest.
Lorena made paella and Spanish tortilla (fritada) for dinner. It was very good, especially with the wine she brought from Spain. It was a white blend of Godello and dona blanco from a winery she worked for in the Bierzo region (dona should have a wavy accent over the n). It was very complex with a slight sweet flavor, even though the wine was dry. Marinus talked about some social behavior in South Africa and they seem to be similar to how I think of the 1950s. The differences mostly seem to come from religion. They marry young because they are very opposed to sex before marriage, they won't do gay marriages at the winery because they would get a bad reputation in the area, and the attitude that change is bad. The separation of blacks and whites may not be religion-based, but it is 60 years in the past in the US. If Marinus didn't tell me his beliefs on these issues, I wouldn't have guessed that was how he felt. This is only one group of people that I've been exposed to, but it seems pretty common among the white South Africans. Any change that is taking place is coming from the outside and is mostly based in the cities.
After dinner, the wedding party had moved to the pool, so Lorena and I joined them. I ended up talking with some South Africans while Lorena found an Italian woman to speak Spanish with because the groom and his friends were from Italy. One of the guys cannon-balled into the pool and someone decided to put a canoe into the pool. We left around 3am, but some of them stayed later. The next morning, most of them were not walking in a straight line.
Sunday brunch was delicious and filling. The kitchen staff baked good bread instead of the crap that's in the supermarket. I still can't find a decent loaf of french bread or sourdough. I saw asparagus for the first time since I left home, and there was of course meat and potatoes.
I have a couple of good quotes from Marinus to show what a fun guy he is. To describe the owner's dog he said, "It looks like it's got one foot on a banana peel and one the grave." And when talking about a "crazy bitch" who used to work at the bistro, "She's the kind of person you'd run over twice."
Thursday, February 3, 2011
First day of harvest
After cleaning the equipment on Monday, we received nine tons of sauvignon blanc on Tuesday. It was painful to be at work at 6:30am mostly because after the first small batch of grapes we processed, we waited 45 minutes for the next load to come in, meaning we didn't really have to be there yet. But I'll complain more the first time we're told to show up at 4am. We had finished receiving grapes by 9:30am, but it took us until 3pm to move the juice into the tank and clean everything because the separator is a difficult piece of equipment to use. It extracts only the free run juice, so they could use a press for the same purpose. Everything seemed to be done inefficiently, but that's probably because labor is ridiculously cheap compared to new equipment.
The past two days, we took samples from the vineyards, cleaned the 40-year-old screw press (one of only five left in South Africa, one other is sitting next to it but broken), painted wax on open-top cement fermenters, and hand labeled 45 cases of wine. Reading about the protests in Egypt has been interesting because I went to Tahrir Square where the Egyptian museum is and I remember some of the landmarks mentioned in the news articles. I am very glad to be out of there.
On Monday everybody at the winery laughed at the incident of the man attacking his wife. The man was even back at work the next morning as if nothing had happened. They say it is common and normal. I've heard that there is freedom in this country, but I think it is more like lawlessness.
The past two days, we took samples from the vineyards, cleaned the 40-year-old screw press (one of only five left in South Africa, one other is sitting next to it but broken), painted wax on open-top cement fermenters, and hand labeled 45 cases of wine. Reading about the protests in Egypt has been interesting because I went to Tahrir Square where the Egyptian museum is and I remember some of the landmarks mentioned in the news articles. I am very glad to be out of there.
On Monday everybody at the winery laughed at the incident of the man attacking his wife. The man was even back at work the next morning as if nothing had happened. They say it is common and normal. I've heard that there is freedom in this country, but I think it is more like lawlessness.
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