This year’s crush was very different for us. As we don't harvest our own grapes, this year was special. We got the opportunity to go out to a local vineyard and pick some of this year’s crop. This may not sound out of the ordinary for a winery but in our case it was. San Pasqual Winery is an urban winery. Meaning we don't have a vineyard, we buy our grapes from growers around California. So getting the chance to go out into the vineyards and participate in harvesting the grapes ourselves was quite an adventure.
San Pasqual Winery, as many of you know, is a small family owned winery. So, our picking crew consisted of the owners, their two adult children, and a couple winery workers. We started the second day of picking at 6am. The vineyard in the morning was beautiful. It felt like a dream when we watched the day’s first sun light flow over the hills and awaken the vines. The cool fog that enveloped the valley in the morning was not only stunning, its coolness helped to make the picking easier. We found ourselves laughing and singing as we parted the foliage of the vine, searching for the dark purple treasures that were just waiting to be found.
The grapes we searched for were tight clustered and deep purple with somewhat large berries. They were bountiful and beautiful. It was amazing to me, how these small berries are just the beginning. After all, it takes a long time to make wine, but this supple fruit is already promising something amazing. We were not alone in our appreciation of this bounty. Birds had already sampled many of the berries and as the sun rose over the hills and the morning air warmed, we were joined by other friends, honey bees. They would gather around the grapes that the birds have opened, and as they drink, they would seem to be drunk on the juice. I’d pick a bunch only to find 5 to 6 bees feeding, and undisturbed by me cutting the cluster from the vine. These I set down carefully, there are plenty of grapes for all. These little neighbors of ours deserve their fair share of the harvest, for the all services they give us.
The vineyard was in Dulzura. Six miles from the Tecate border. It was refreshing to be surrounded by a landscape that feels like it hasn’t changed in a century. It was evident that nature here goes undisturbed, especially as someone caught a glimpse of we think was either a fox or coyote darting in to one of the vine rows. This place holds magic and as you spend time here, it is revealed. If you find yourself with an opportunity to pick grapes for a winery, please do. You may find yourself falling in love with more than what is found in the bottle.
