Yesterday was both a momentous and emotional day for The Vines of Mendoza team and Private Vineyard Estate owners. We harvested our first red grapes of the 2010 harvest and even more importantly the first in our new bodega. The last four years seem to have flown by and to see the machines in action processing the grapes was to realize all of our dreams, all of the hard work that has gone into the project and the team that has made it all happen. There were several owners on hand to witness the harvest and we were all overcome by the potential of what we have in store for all of our Private Vineyard Estate owners.
We harvested by hand, 1,100 kilos of Merlot at 25.5 degrees brix. Gustavo, the red wine winemaker for Mondavi, here visiting his friend Wandyr, whose Merlot we processed today, was impressed by the Merlot, telling me that they can’t get the flavor, sugar and mature seed development in California as we have achieved with our Merlot in the Uco Valley. Santiago Achaval, our consulting winemaker, was also on hand and was very happy with how the grapes are maturing and even got in on the action, sorting grapes with the team!
Congratulations to everyone on an amazing beginning to the 2010 Cosecha!
