See those little red bins? You might recognize them from the previous post celebrating the harvest of Dyonisos Vineyard.

These are the bins we affectionately refer to as amados tachos, or beloved bins.  Whenever you see these pretty red bins, expect something special, something with lots of character, something that deserves its own careful handling. Today, it’s the future 2013 Uco Valley Malbec Reserve.

Now see that fancy machine that Leo is enamored with? That is a destemmer, BUT not just any destemmer. That is our brand new Delta Oscillys. This much anticipated addition to our team has a patented destemming process using a pendulum swing instead of a beater shaft or rotative cage. What does this all mean??? It means…

…we’re one step closer to our commitment to producing more site specific, terroir driven wines. But more specifically, it means we can separate the berries from the stems not only in an efficient manner, but in a more gentle way- reducing the amount of juice lost and preserving the integrity of the berries. Why spend all that energy hand-picking into the labor intensive amados tachos  if we’re just going to batter the clusters anyway??

This is our first harvest using this destemmer, but we are already impressed. It does a really amazing job. Look at those berries!! (sorry for the exclamations, but look!!) Totally intact and full of character, waiting for the gentle crush of their own gravity.

The grapes are trucked in from the Uco Valley, where, after an anxious week of observation, Mauricio has given us the green light to harvest. The less time between picking and fermenting, the better. Which means the grapes get a drop-everything-you’re-doing kind of reception, a bit like a spoiled child.

But the excitement, energy and promise for the end wine keeps everyone motivated, even as dusk turns to night. Leo Guevara, Operations Manager, stays through the wee hours to help out. As he says, “I think it’s important to get your hands dirty, to be a part of it all.” (We think he was a bit giddy to use the new VIP destemmer also…)

In retrospect, this final glimpse of the crush pad at midnight looks quite serene. It’s a nice way to remember it because everyone who was actually there knows better…

…in reality it’s a wild, adrenaline filled, frantic circus!