August 20 - August 26, 2017

	Monday August 21, 2017 The temperatures here have been lower than normal lately, today under 80 degrees so grapes are ripening slowly. We just finished a sugar test on the Pinot Noir for red wine and a test for our white blend. This time in the whites we only tested the Sauv Blanc because those are the vines with the highest fruit level and lowest sugar. The Pinot came in at 22.7 and we want 25% sugar so we will wait another week to check again. The Sauv Blanc came in at 21.7%, about where we want it, but we suspect the actual Harvest sugar may be lower. The Muscat, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer will be higher so we are harvesting on Thursday. Wednesday August 23, 2017 8:00 Pm: I love what I do, as I have said, I have a passion for what I do, I got lucky to be in this place. But I can't relax, As I have said before, I have had trouble sleeping so I am taking pills that help me to sleep.............only over the counter. That makes me have less balance? I have missed steps and fallen a few times over the last several years. I am ready............. I can't relax. I want to make the best wine I can.; ..............Harvest.........next two days Saturday August 26, 2017 This is the third day in a row of harvesting fruit. Thursday we harvested all our white grapes, a total of 2.24 tons, enough to make about 150 cases. I took about 55 gallons and pressed 100% Sauvignon Blanc into a new French oak barrel. The wine will ferment to dryness in the barrel and we will top off with the rest of the white wine to make one barrel and after racking, about 20 cases. The percentage on the rest of the white grapes consisted of 60% Sauv Blanc, 14% Muscat, 13% Chardonnay and 13% Gewürztraminer. Yesterday we picked one ton of Petite Sirah at 17.7% sugar to make a rose sparkling wine. We left the grapes on the skins overnight and pressed this morning, nice color. Today we are picking Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinotage for a red wine, total to follow later................ We received about 2 tons of Pinot Noir and about 1500 pounds of Pinot Meunier and Pinotage all at about 24.5% sugar. 2:00 Pm: Surprise, Surprise, We did a test of old vine Zinfandel and the sugar came in at 26-27% SO we have to start picking Zinfandel tomorrow, a Sunday. The acids are very high in the sample so we are hoping when the whole load is in tomorrow we will have less sugar and less acid.
	Dave For any comments or questions I encourage any of you to e-mail.....david@coffaro.com
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