Harvest Time is Almost Here

Harvest time reminds me of getting close to your due date. Every day is greeted with anticipation, “Is it ready yet?” Then, bang! The brix, the acitidy, the seeds & skins, everything falls into place and it’s time to pick- NOW. There is lead up to the actual day- testing, measuring, and forecasting- but it always seems that when it arrives, it’s time to move, move, move! This year is no different. The flurry of phone calls, emails, lab results, walks through the vineyard have begun to intensify. We are getting close, my friends, and it is so exciting.

No one can be more excited than my father, Don. He is the one that heads up the Stolo Family Vineyard operation. We do have a vineyard consultant and manager who are absolutely pivotal to the quality of the vineyard- but my dad is the driving force. He is focused on quality and, quite honestly, perfection in the vineyard. His determination to achieve the most optimal harvest has him tirelessly up in the rows scrutinizing, taking notes, pulling off random growths, checking the irrigation lines, etc. His efforts do not stop there. He works hand in hand with the teams that come in to leaf thin, prune, put up the bird nets, harvest, and sort. It is really hard work- I’ve done it too, but my dad is out there all the time.

I mentioned in my first post that my father went into the cabinet business with my grandfather and uncle. I believe that viticulture is his true calling. He is a fantastic business man, but his heart is in horticulture. It always has been. Growing up in Orange County, I remember my father constantly creating gardening concepts for our yard (he did this more than once). He only had so much space to work with, but he did everything from lay the irrigation to choosing and planting the plants. He also started a vegetable garden in our backyard that I used to love. He would take us kids out there and show us how to determine if the corn, snap peas, and tomatoes were ripe. He would teach us about carrots growing underground and when to pick the perfect zucchini. I loved picking the vegetables with him.

Having a vineyard to cultivate is, I would imagine, his dream come true. He learned all of what he knows through extensive reading, note taking, talking to other vineyard owners, and following our consultant, Bill, around. With a few harvests under his belt, he now also has experience to rely on as well. But all the knowledge in the world does not compare to the amount of heart he has invested in the progress of the vineyard. It is his baby.