John Baker and Francesca Pellegi sort the MOG -- materials other than grapes -- at the sugar stand at Woodbridge Winery Friday as a truck of white zinfandel grapes arrived from Harris Ranch. The brix, or sugar level, is tested at the stand when trucks arrive to drop their load. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Local winegrape harvest begins; will be in full gear Monday

Area growers expect the winegrape harvest to begin in earnest this week, although they're a bit unsure what Mother Nature may bring.

Vino Farms, on East Lodi Avenue and East Peltier Road, began its harvest on Wednesday, while Stanton Lange picked some white zinfandel grapes on Thursday morning near Woodbridge Winery.

The harvest is about a week late because of the cold and wet spring in the Lodi area, Lange said.

"Our first day, it went as well as can be expected," Lange said Thursday.

Vintners are uncertain how the heat wave in July, when temperatures reached a sweltering 114 degrees, will affect the grape harvest. Lange said it hasn't hurt his white grapes, which are traditionally harvested sooner than the red grapes.

It remains to be seen about the red grapes, though. The heat wave may have harmed wines like merlot and cabernet sauvignon, Lange said.

The heat wave will probably have held the berry size down, Lange said, resulting in a lighter crop this year.

The spring rains also caused a later harvest than usual. The grape harvest usually begins on Aug. 10 or Aug. 12, but this year, it was about a week late, Lange said.

"Next week is when things will really get rolling," he said.

To take advantage of the cooler evening weather, harvesting usually starts at 10 p.m. to midnight and ends about 10 a.m. each day.

"It's not uncommon to be on four or five hours of sleep at night for six to eight weeks," said Mark Chandler. "Or less some nights. Mother Nature — when it's ripe, it's ready to go."

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

First published: Saturday, August 19, 2006

General wine worker Patrick McCarthy drops pinot grigio grapes into the hopper from a gondola truck Friday at Woodbridge Winery. From this hopper, the grapes move to a bladder where they are pressed and sent for aging. This wine will be fermented in the Italian method, which means without the use of oak barrels. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)