- Joined
- Oct 24, 2016
- Messages
- 333
- Reaction score
- 414
Saturday was the annual volunteer Riesling picking day at Keuka Lake Vineyards (Finger Lakes). Volunteers show up at 9AM to pick grapes all day with a break for a delicious lunch. This year we were fortunate to be part of a fun and enthusiastic crew. The 15 of us picked 2 blocks, somewhere between 2.5 and 3.0 tons which were pressed on Sunday. After the vines had been stripped of their fruit we were treated to a tour of the production area, a lengthy tasting and a really nice dinner of beef bourguignon (actually venison from a vineyard pest). Also, we were all considered "employees" for the day and got the associated 33% discount - nice!
KLV is a small winery and we had the opportunity throughout the day to talk with Mel (owner) and Stacy (winemaker), both of whom actively participated in the pick. It was a cool day, but Mother Nature spared us and kept nearly all the rain to the north. It's not easy work, but it is satisfying and it's great to spend a day immersed in a vineyard. Nancy & I filled over 20 bins, but sadly were not able to sneak any out in our car. However, we did manage to bring home a case of the finished product. This was our 2nd year participating and it is very likely that we will be back again.
KLV is a small winery and we had the opportunity throughout the day to talk with Mel (owner) and Stacy (winemaker), both of whom actively participated in the pick. It was a cool day, but Mother Nature spared us and kept nearly all the rain to the north. It's not easy work, but it is satisfying and it's great to spend a day immersed in a vineyard. Nancy & I filled over 20 bins, but sadly were not able to sneak any out in our car. However, we did manage to bring home a case of the finished product. This was our 2nd year participating and it is very likely that we will be back again.
