Marin Vineyards: Harvest At A Local Marin Winery | Marin Winery

Paul is the viticulturist and winemaker at Marin Vineyards. He holds degrees in viticulture, Enology (science of winemaking) and visual communications. Bonnie directs the marketing efforts at Marin Vineyards and has participated in multiple advanced courses in wine tasting, wine components and wine judging. When not working on his own vineyard, Paul consults on vineyard installation, vineyard management, and winemaking throughout Marin County. Needless to say, these two know wine!

Marin Vineyards Harvest Day

They make delicious wines, one reason I along with 30 other friends agreed to show up at 7 am on a Saturday morning to pick grapes for the fall harvest of 2015. After morning coffee and pastries, we were handed yellow picking bins and sharp pruners to begin our work. Paul and Bonnie are meticulous in the operation of their vineyard, which has been all-organic since its inception. We picked the grapes and gently placed them in the bins, hand sorting out any grapes that did not meet their high standards.

After cutting the grape clusters from the vines, the next step was to run the clusters through the state-of-the-art stainless steel de-stemmer / crusher which is affectionately known as “the Great Zambelli!”

We then meticulously removed all grape stems, known as “jacks,” because they look like the old children’s game of jacks. Are you of this vintage? If not, they look like this:

Paul and Bonnie told us stems in the “must” — what winemakers call the freshly pressed grape juice — create a bitter flavor in the wine. “No way in our wine!” Bonnie said. “Pulling jacks” is one of the many steps they take to ensure the highest quality wine.

Once the “Great Zambelli” took over, our work for the day was done and we enjoyed a beautiful meal they had catered for the event — along with some of their prized reserve wines they only bring out on special occasions.
So what happened after our harvest work was done? I later learned they cold soak the grapes for 72 hours and then bring the temperature up to 60 degrees to inoculate the must. The ritual of “punch down” four times a day then begins to ensure total extraction of color and flavor from the skins.Upon completion of fermentation, they begin malolactic fermentation and seal off the tanks for five days of extended maceration. During this process, “punch down” only happens once a day.Afterward, they press the wine. All right, I know you must be thinking of Lucy stomping grapes but they use a bladder press to do the work of gently crushing the grapes, ensuring that any seeds are left intact so as not to cause the wine to become tannic and bitter.The wine is then placed in new French oak barrels where it matures for two years before bottling. It’s a long process from planting, tending, harvesting to bottling — but well worth it for a  premium wine! IN fact their wine just won “Best in Show” and “Double Golds” at the Sonoma Fair! If you are thinking of installing a vineyard on your own property or just want more information on Marin Vineyards — including their fabulous wines — please contact Paul and Bonnie at marinvineyards@att.net. When I’m not picking grapes, I specialize in helping my clients buy and sell luxury homes. Please call or text me at 415/847-5584 if I may be of any assistance, or fill in the contact form below.