Here Comes the Rain Again

I feel the way this shirt looks

Thank God it's almost Friday. This is my 9th day of work in a row, and tomorrow will be the 10th.  It'll also likely be the last day that we crush grapes, as a storm is brewing along the entire California coast. The grapes that are still on the vine will be soaked and will start to rot, so we'll never get to make them into wine.

Over the last 3 days, however, we've crushed about 25 tons. We have 5 more to go tomorrow. Our season total is somewhere around 60 or 70, and that means 120 - 140 barrels of wine (3000 - 3500 cases).  It's low for this winery, but such is life in the wine biz. Weather affects your output quite a lot.

If you're wondering who bears the brunt of the weather, the answer is the grower. Most contracts state the if the grapes are not harvested in time (w/ the desired sugar content), the grower will not be paid. In some cases, we'll still pay them 50% as a goodwill gesture. More to come on this topic...