Reflections on the Farm

Oh I was so right. Since my arrival, I have been aching continuously. Now, in some respects everything is getting easier. But once the muscle fatigue faded, shin splints and weak shitty ankles kicked in. It's not so bad, though. I'll be able to benchpress a horse in a couple of weeks thanks to this grape-hauling nonsense!

I can't get over how amazing this place is. The mountains,  beyond just mind-blowingly gorgeous, are so... full. I have never seen so much wild life! There is a plethora of apple and pear trees here on the vineyard, scattered across the property, and blackberries run rampant next to the cabin. Which is also painfully rustic and adorable and far more functional than 90% of the apartments I've lived in. Then there's the animals- deer are EVERYWHERE. I even saw feral domestic pigs! Apparently a farmer lost his pigs a couple decades back and they now just roam. Rabbits, fox, quail- I have never hunted before in my life, and I have never wanted to more than I do up here.
Going into town is fun, too. The roads are all old graded logging roads, and they twist and curve around the mountains and Lake Sonoma, giving you incredible views from every angle. And once you become familiar enough with the roads to actually do the speed limit, the drive makes you feel like you're in one if those picturesque car commercials.

I really haven't been doing much wine making, just picking and cheffing, and I'm pretty ok with that. I get a great workout, both in body and in culinary chops I haven't done in a while. And for the most appreciative people! Apparently the biggest difference between east coast and west coast cooking is that east coasters are more concerned with it being a competition between restaurants,  and here people are just happy to eat. It's a great feeling!

Forays into Viticulture

Ever felt like you've gotten into a dick-punching contest with Murphy's Law? That could very easily sum up my trip thus far. Getting out to California became the single most aggravating task I have ever brought upon myself. Long driving hours, heartbreak, desert, storms, sunburns, broken promises- you name it, it happened. However, I am lucky enough to have a handful of the most supportive, caring, sympathetic friends a girl could ever ask for- they helped me back up when I was sobbing in a shitty motel on I-5, and I will never forget that.

As it stands, there is extremely limited time and access to the Internet in order to post everything.  So, posts are going to wind up being clustered together and dated, like so...

9/5, late-night

I finally made it to the vineyard! Drove into the winery about 10pm, met some of the crew, and immediately got put to work sorting grapes. It was a great change of pace from driving all day! What we were doing was examining grapes that had picked earlier that day and were on the conveyor belt headed to a machine that destemmed and filtered out grapes that were too small. It was up to human intervention to filter out leaves, unripe or rotten grapes, and raisins. I felt a bit like Lucy Ricardo on 'I Love Lucy' sorting bon bons. I tried a couple grapes, and they were incredible- sweet and softly  supple. They were pinot noir, the specialty of this vineyard.
Heading to the vineyard itself, where I am staying,  is about an hour and a half away from the winery and up a mountain. Because of my laaaaate arrival, I couldn't really see any of the drive up- just enough to realize that the dividing lines are just guidelines up here instead of steadfast law. :)

9/6

Day one! We woke up at 5:30 am to begin picking. During the harvest,  I was given the job of runner- while the regular workers picked, I'd go around and exchange full bins for empty ones. I knew I was going to be hurting later 2min into the job- full bins weigh 45-50lbs each! We spent a solid two, two and a half hours picking in the early morning fog. Grapes are best picked in the early morning before the sun hits- it helps preserve the flavors in the skins.
After picking, we returned to the winery. Here, I parted to start the second half of my job here- as chef! I headed to the next town over, Healdsburg,  to begin shopping for dinner supplies for the next few days.  I was also given the best news any chef can get: "You have an unlimited food budget. Feed us, and feed us well." The freedom that allows me? Incredible! I tore through the store with abandon, picking up fresh butchered meats and screamingly in season produce. I had decided to make the first night's dinner a taco night, to ease into things a bit and guage how my cooking would be recieved.
Taco night turned out well enough, I mistimed a few things and had to improvise a bit; but meeting everyone was a lot of fun and I got to witness a cool wine aficionado game they play every night- Guess the Wine. We do a blind tasting of two bottles, one white and one red, and we try to guess the grape varietal, the area of origin, the vintage, and the producer. It is a reallt educational experience!
We returned to the winery late that night to catch a few z's before returning to the fields early the next morning.  I remember hitting the sack and having some of the sweetest dreams I've had in years. This is easily one of the best decisions I've ever made.