Early in Spring, it's time to start visiting the vineyards, checking rainfall amounts and noting the time on when the vines "wake-up" from their winter sleep.

The 2015 season marked another year of drought in California. While Dry Creek Valley received over 20 inches of rain in the 2015 season, it wasn't enough for many of the vines continued shortage of water.

Just beginning the growth cycle in Dry Creek Valley.

There is no substitute for vineyard walks, you can't just "phone it in" with your vineyard manager. Walking the rows is healthy for you and the results in the bottle.

I successfully fermented the Sangiovese on 100% native yeast this year and I'd like to thank them for their cooperation.

My Ford Focus not only sees about 40,000 miles per year on the highway, but a few miles of dirt roads in Alexander and Dry Creek Valley each season. My rig got pressure washed about an hour later.

I'm usually given a travel companion by one of my younger family members; this time it was Thor. I'm the purchaser of various hydration and caffeinated products. The addition of potato chips is a rare site in my vehicle.

I walk all of my vineyards personally for field testing sugar. It is also a chance to taste throughout the vineyards, part science part art.

Those tiny berries are showing me something, dimples. The the faintest dimple, giving me a visual clue in this water depleted vineyard, that the grapes are ready to pick. 

It's Cabernet Sauvignon days away from being picked. The tiny berries pack a lot of flavor.

Dry Creek Valley is wine country! The views from the hillside vineyards I choose for my wines are the best in the region.

You've got to get out and taste the grapes, not just test the grapes. Seeds and the pulp around them are another indication of ripeness, so taste often.

For our white wine blend.

For some vineyards, we pick and haul our own fruit. TL readies the truck for the harvest.

John positioning the truck for the harvest

There is no substitute for labor.

Early in the morning is the best time to pick

Yes, I pick, haul, sort, crush, and taste Cabernet Sauvignon. 

David and John taking a look at the continuing task of picking grapes

Roughly 1000lbs of grapes in that single bin

The owner and winemaker, David Scheidt decided to pose for the camera, briefly, during our pick of Cabernet Sauvignon.

The last few hauls of Cabernet going into the bins

Trying to get whatever leaves we can out of the bins before the crushpad

The results of our pick in Dry Creek Valley

Each half-ton of grapes is dumped onto a belt and shaker table system to throw out everything from leaves to bad grapes.

This is the simple system for labeling the bins, grapes, vineyard, and winery for all the fruit that comes onto the crushpad.

A few pictures of color from recently fermented Sangiovese

Skins from Sangiovese just before they go into the press

Sangiovese fresh off the press

A little crush pad fun and my nickname

Wine, safe and secure in the underground cellar