Grape Harvest (Shir-az Fun)

Saturday we were invited out to our friends' vineyard to help pick this year's crop of Shiraz grapes, vintage 2009. After careful instructions on what to look for, we began picking. Brett took his job very seriously. To make the best wine, he picked the plumpest, juiciest grapes.

The extreme heat of summer took its toll on the grapes. We were only able to pick grapes from the south side of the vines since most of the clumps on the north side were sun burnt.

Always trying to be helpful, Zach thought he would taste the vintage. According to him, the grapes were ripe for the picking with just the right sugar levels. Should be a good year for Shiraz!

Anna was quite pleased with the perfect clumps of grapes she found.

All and all we picked nearly three tons of grapes that will be fermented into approximately eighty cases of tasty Shiraz that will be ready for drinking in three years.

Saturday's events were so much fun that we decided it was time to take a trip to our favorite local winery, Tahbilk, to see how their harvest was coming along. We also needed to pick up a few bottles of our two favorite summer white wines, Verdehlo and Dulcet. The harvest was in full swing. They already had the first batches of red wines fermenting in the 100+ year old open vats. We could smell the wine as we drove up. Yum.

It also happens that Tahbilk is the oldest winery in Victoria and has some of the oldest grapes in the world. If you click on the picture you can read the story about these Shiraz grapes.

Most of the grape vines we see around here have stocks a few inches in diameter. As for these old vines, the stocks are like small tree trunks. That's what happens when you have been around for 150 years! The grapes from these vines draw quite a premium. A bottle of Shiraz will sell of over $100.

By the end of the weekend we couldn't close our eyes without seeing grapes. Cheers to vintage 2009!