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from grapes to wine...
Picking, pressing and fermenting
Scherrer Winery's 2006 Helfer
Vineyard Chardonnay
Scherrer Winery's 2006 Helfer
Vineyard Chardonnay
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| October 12th, 2006, 2 PM. The decision of when to harvest is crucial. Don Helfer (standing) brings a few clusters of his Chardonnay to the Scherrer Winery for Fred to evaluate. The grapes are healthy, but the cool end of season weather is making Don nervous. He and his wife Patricia literally work all year for this moment. They want to deliver the healthiest possible fruit to Fred and one day of bad weather can be a killer. Fred and Don have done this any number of times. Though the stakes are high, they both remain calm and focused. Do not be fooled by the wine on the lunch table. We were tasting the juice from different fermenting tanks. Fred tastes extensively but does not drink during the harvest work day. He operates on an unhealthy amount of sleep for three months, yet must continue to make delicate and complicated decisions that will affect the quality of his 2006 wines. Small wineries demand the attention of big brains. |
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