Harvest is Happening

Harvest is getting its groove on in the Napa Valley. The sparkling wine houses _ who want grapes with a little less sugar than those used for still wines _ have been picking for a few weeks. And I recently had the chance to experience one of the harbingers of harvest, the annual Blessing of the Grapes at Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford.

The blessing of the grape harvest is a centuries-old tradition and has been observed at Grgich Hills since 1977. This year Father Mark Christy from the Carmelite Monastery in Oakville did the honors over a few containers of grapes glistening green in the sunshine. Winery cofounder Mike Grgich was there, wearing his trademark black beret and beaming at the small crowd of friends and well-wishers.

“This is a great day for all of us who work here,” said Grgich. “We promise out of these grapes we are going to make wine artistically, scientifically and use all our experience to make the best wines in the world.”

Here are a few snippets from the ceremony.

Grgich Hills _ it’s ger-gich, by the way _ makes a good stop on your wine country itinerary. It’s easy to get to, right off Highway 29, and centrally located, near Beaulieu Vineyards, Rubicon Estate and Rutherford Grill, where you can get reasonably priced and reliably good grub.

It’s also one of the few places where you can indulge your “I Love Lucy” fantasy. They’ve got a tub of grapes waiting, you just take off your socks and have at it. I’ve done it. A lot squishier than you expect but quite soothing.

Grgich has plenty of experience making great wines. He was winemaker at Chateau Montelena for the ’73 chardonnay that beat French white wines in the 1976 Paris Tasting, a revolutionary event that changed the way people thought about California wines. And at 87 years old he’s been in the business for more than half a century. That’s right, 87. I had to go back and check my math because you’d never know it just from talking to him.

It makes me wonder what I’ll be up to three years shy of 90.

Maybe I should buy a beret.

Cheers.

 

3 Replies to “Harvest is Happening”

  1. Michelle,Nice to see you on Friday and thanks for sharing our Blessing of the Grapes with your readers.

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