The Dream Team: Tracy, Brandon, Ally, Al, Chase & Andy.
As the final grapes are pressed and the last barrels tucked away, my harvest internship has officially come to a close. It’s hard to believe how much has been packed into these past 4 weeks — the early mornings, hot days, late nights, and everything in between. Physically, it was one of the toughest experiences I’ve ever gone through.
The long hours during harvest are legendary for a reason. There’s no stopping the process once it starts, and the grapes certainly don’t wait. But as I’ve come to realize, the physical side is only one part of the equation. What truly made this experience special was the people I shared it with.
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Harvested Pinot Noir about to get processed.
My third week as a Harvest Intern was the most busy and intense yet as the balance of the fruit was brought in. At the peak of harvest, when the fruit is coming in from the vineyard, time is of the essence and the effort is at its max.
The grapes need to be handled quickly and efficiently to preserve their quality. As soon as the fruit arrives at the winery, it’s essential to move it into the next stage of processing—whether it’s sorting, destemming, or crushing—before it begins to warm up or ferment prematurely.
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A shift in the tasting room to experience all aspects of wine.
After a whirlwind of a first week as a Harvest Intern my weekend ‘off’ began with an unexpected twist—I found myself working a shift in the tasting room due to a staff shortage. In true “all hands on deck” fashion, everyone pitches in wherever needed. Honestly, it was a nice change of pace from the heavy manual labor, and I had a wonderful time interacting with wine club members and visitors. It was a great reminder that winemaking is as much about people as it is about grapes.
Sunday brought a beautiful and educational morning in the vineyard. I spent a few hours with winemaker Aaron Kendall sampling from different blocks to check on grape ripeness.
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Aaron & Tracy Kendall.
In life, they say nothing is certain, but in the world of wine, few things come as close to a sure bet as two accomplished winemakers teaming up for their own project. The duo we’re discussing happen to be husband and wife Aaron and Tracy Kendall. Aaron was the assistant winemaker at Beaux Freres, now head winemaker at Compris Vineyard, and Tracy was the associate winemaker at Nicolas-Jay.
After recently purchasing an established vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, together they bring a wealth of wine expertise to their own project, Folly of Man.
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The wine lineup at Nicolas-Jay..
Just a decade after their very first vintage and two years since producing the first full vintage in their own facility, Nicolas-Jay has very quickly built a reputation that is world class. Some would say this isn’t too surprising given that the “Nicolas” in Nicolas-Jay is none other than Jean-Nicolas Méo, winemaker and owner of Méo Camuzet, one of the very best wineries in Burgundy.
However, exceeding lofty expectations in a highly competitive and increasingly finicky wine industry is a significant achievement, regardless of wine pedigree.
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