Wine lover: A great time to start making wine

With harvest time quickly approaching, the wine-making industry is abuzz with anticipation for the 2009 harvest.
Because we had a fairly cool growing season in Santa Cruz, it looks like the harvest will be a little later than usual, allowing the grapes to ripen and attain appropriate sugar levels. Many grape growers are saying late September to early October will be the likely harvest days.
So if there was ever a time to get involved somehow in the wine-making process, it’s now.
One good way to get involved is to simply find a local winery or wine group that needs help picking grapes and ask how you can help. With most growers harvesting at similar times, people are often scrambling to find help in the vineyard.
Along with picking grapes comes the opportunity to be involved in the crush and primary fermentation. The grapes are typically taken directly from the vineyard and crushed immediately after picking. In one day, you can learn about harvesting the grapes as well as how the crush and fermentation processes work.
Another option is to pool some friends together and buy grapes and some meager wine-making equipment and do it yourself. You will probably need someone in the group who has experience, though.
If you don’t know anyone with experience, then Vino Tabi is an excellent option. Vino Tabi, located in the Surf City Vintners Plaza, is owned and operated by Katie Fox. Her outfit has many options to help you with at-home wine-making. She can walk you through the wine-making process, and with the help, you will make your own barrel of wine.
One barrel of wine equals roughly 25 cases — and if you think you won’t be able to find something to do with all that wine, trust me, you will.
Mikael Wargin, the head wine-maker for Vino Tabi, will host wine-making education events focused on crush, harvest and primary fermentation in the next couple of months.
There is no better time than harvest time to visit the local wineries and learn a little about the many processes that go into wine-making. Cheers!
Austin Twohig is a certified sommelier and partner in The Santa Cruz Experience, which conducts winery tours in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Contact him at [email protected].