Off the Vine: Lessons by the 1oz

The winery intern is a crucial part of the winemaking process. During the weeks-long harvest period in the fall, winery staff can increase temporarily by several times, with bodies brought in to complete in a matter of weeks the crucial task of picking and crushing acres of grapes. The internship I’m setting off on is somewhat atypical in timing and function as harvest is still a few months off (the grapes are hardly buds on the vine at this point) and I’ll be splitting time between the winery offices and the visitor center, but it has already proved to be incredibly educational.

It’s been strange weather in Napa, with unseasonably late spots of rain and un-California-like humidity, but the sunny days are also unusually beautiful, as are the late sunsets with final rays of light lingering long past dinner time. As developed an area as the Napa Valley has become, it is still a region driven by agriculture – viticulture, specifically – and as such, the feeling in my temporary home at the winery house is quietly remote, with nights that are peacefully dark amongst the vineyards. Though it is in many ways romantic as it sounds, and I can’t complain about driving down my little gravel path to the temporary digs, let me just restate that the nights are quiet. And dark. Two initial thoughts on life in the vines:

1. I’m quite glad for the amount of reading that I brought with me. Without internet or television at the house, it’s both wonderfully secluded and somewhat handicapping given how non-functional I am without the ability to google every arbitrary thought (e.g. How does one tell the difference between an awkward-looking spider and a baby scorpion, and can either kill me?). Also, note to self to stock up on DVDs for the house. Trips to or through town are now, in my head, “stocking up on provisions.” 
2. On a related note, life in the vineyards is fulfilling my fantasy of living in the country, but one major handicap is a fear and inability to deal with rodents and insects. Fortunately, no debilitating incidents yet on this front, and most field mice / birds of prey / creepy-crawlies have only been sighted outside the house, except the aforementioned awkward spider / baby scorpion (do both have 8 legs?). I’ll choose instead to focus on creating delicious meals out of the plentifully available farm-fresh produce.

Aside from settling into the pace of life here, the work itself has been interesting, exhausting, and an immense change from my previous job. Most of my first few days have been spent in the visitor center, where guests arrive for tastings and tours, and also complete purchases of wine and merchandise. I won’t bore you with the details, but I would generally compare the operation to a restaurant, with parties checking in for their reservations, and tastings or tours leaving at appointed times, with a limited number of spots in each.

In addition to learning about the winery, wines and winemaking process, most of my time has been spent in getting comfortable chatting with visitors, learning the logistics of setup and cleanup, practicing how to pour - truly not as easy as one might expect. I pride myself on a fairly even pour at the dinner table, but learned today about the one ounce pour. Call me simple-minded, but I was surprised by how much one ounce actually is, visually, and by how difficult it is to quickly pour a consistent series of ounces. Apparently this is a repetitive motion that will soon be mastered, but ironic if this gives me carpal tunnel where typing on a keyboard never did.

What is most rewarding so far is just being able to engage people in a good conversation. Most people don’t come to Napa to have a bad time, so they are happy to talk about where they’re from, where they are tasting, and the wines that they enjoyed. Knowing that, the winery also wants to make everyone feel welcome, so I’ve certainly come to appreciate why this is also considered part of the “hospitality” industry. It’s funny how rewarding it is to know that someone truly enjoyed chatting with you before their tour, but also humbling in recognizing how to deal with and avoid simple mistakes, like not realizing someone is trying to just bum a free tasting, or incorrectly hearing whether a visitor wanted to purchase or re-taste a wine.

Two final tidbits worth sharing, that have surprised me: Firstly, no one warned me how physically intensive this job would be! Standing on your feet for almost 8 hours a day will give you pains in completely new and unexpected places, and also a new appreciation for comfortable footwear. I’m ready to trade in my chic ballet flats for some orthopedic nurse’s shoes. Secondly, the end of my first day was both a source of joy and heart-wrenching pain as I discovered what happens to the leftover wine: Much of the opened wine can not be kept overnight and is poured out (pain and tears), but some bottles are left and...it has to go somewhere, right?

More notes and insights to come over the next few weeks. I have a few final tasting notes to post on trips through Santa Barbara, but soon there will hopefully be many good reviews of Napa and Sonoma wineries as I start visiting the other local operations on my days off. If you have suggestions, please send them my way! I’ll be sure to add them to my growing list. For now, it’s almost bedtime on the farm, so I’m off to dream about perfect one-ounce pours.

*note: plenty of beautiful images to come, as well, once I sort out the internet situation