Harvest time

As a good start to the week on Monday, one of the rotary tanks turned over on its side while filling and spilled about a ton of grapes onto the floor. Luckily the boss was not around, and we shovelled most of it into the press. Most people probably don't want to know that the grapes that made the wine they drink were once on the cellar floor, but it was clean, trust me.

Alain wanted to try flotation which involves a special pump to produce "micro bubbles" to push the large particles up to the top of the juice in the tank so that the clear juice can be pumped out. This takes only a few hours and can be done as soon as the tank is full, instead of two to three days for cold stablization. I don't think it works as well because the juice is not as clean by the end of flotation, but Alain wants to try a different company's pump to see if it is better. When I came back in the evening to watch flotation, the new guys had dumped quite a few grapes and a lot of juice out of a rotary tank, so I stayed to help clean up, but Alain saw the spill this time. He also have me a big roll of delicious salami. Hungarians are proud of their tasty pigs.

When I got to work at 7am, Alain was still there from the previous night. He got a lot done, but it made me question my desire to be a winemaker.

Task and I went to Budapest for a wine festival on the weekend. Winemaking is important during harvest, but wine tasting is more important. I met the winemaker for the winery in Tokaji where I will be working in November. He was a friendly, fun guy but a harsh critic of other people's wines. There was good sausage, and Hungarian song and dance with traditional costumes. Unfortunately I was not very impressed with most of the wines. However, Toakji was special. The wines were mostly good and they are different. I guess that's why they charge so much for a bottle. Back to work this week, but on the night shift this time, from 3pm to finish.