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2010 Harvest is In the Bag . . . well almost!! (And you can now Sign-up for our Blog!!)

After chatting with Tom today, it was very apparent that harvest is winding down and it is almost safe to say the 2010 harvest is in the bag. This year has been very challenging and at times very stressful for both Tom and Niels. With 90% of our grapes safely picked, Tom and Niels can now relax and focus on turning those grapes into delicious wine. When I talked to Tom today, I could definitely sense his relief and growing excitement to begin working with this year’s fruit. Tom also spent about five minutes of our conversation describing how much he has been enjoying the vibrant fall colors and crisp fall weather we have had in the past couple weeks on the central coast. Once you are no longer worried about losing your crop you can take that extra time in your day to appreciate the simple things in life . . . such as the fall colors!!

In other winery news, we have picked both our Whale Rock Primitivo and Zinfandel this week and according to Tom they are both looking very promising. We also have some Muscat Canelli on raisin trays sitting out in the sun to attain high enough sugar levels to make a new batch of “Late Harvest” Muscat. All in all it has been a big year at Castoro and we are almost at full capacity!! As the last of the grapes trickle in, it can become quite challenging to make room and ensure there is enough tank space for every last drop. In some ways it becomes an intricate game for Tom, as he carefully dictates the movement of all of our wines and freshly pressed juices. We have a lot of tank space at Castoro and the tanks vary in size, location, and type, making it all the more of a challenge this time of the year.

With the fall colors in full swing and the crisp days and nights occurring more consistently, we are all happily making the transition out of harvest and into winter/winemaking season. As I have repeated many times, we are very excited about our fruit this year and Tom and Niels both are convinced this will be a vintage to remember! Stay tuned for more info on our transition out of harvest and make sure to SIGN UP for our blog on the right side of this page. All you have to do is enter your e-mail address and you will receive these blog posts directly to your inbox!

Cheers,

Luke

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