It’s 5 am the morning of Labor Day. Why am I up at this insane hour? To pick grapes! A friend has a backyard vineyard, and their Chardonnay is ready to go.
Along with about 15 other people, we are the picking crew. The vineyard is in the Santa Cruz Mountains, it’s steep, but the views from it are worth getting up early for! We don gloves and take a pair of clippers, then grab a picking box and go. You have to really balance not to topple over while picking. The grapes are juicy and sweet, with a nice amount of acid. The picking crew fills up about 9 bins in about an hour. We all gather for a great breakfast al fresco. Then it’s back home for a nap!