Following the Wine Grapes from Farm to Bottle

This issue was published on July 19, 2023.

Happy Wine Wednesday!

Today we’re diving into the agriculture of winemaking before talking to Heather Griffin, Partner at Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery in Napa Valley’s Howell Mountain AVA.

So pour yourself a glass and let’s get our wine nerd on!

The Agriculture of Winemaking
From Farm to Bottle

It’s easy to forget that wine is an agricultural product. When I grab vegetables and fruit at Trader Joe’s, I know they came from a farm. But wine? With creative labels and shiny glass bottles? Those just come from the shelf in the wine section.

But really, wine is just fancy old grape juice. There needs to be land, good soil, vines, grapes, water, and sun. It needs growers who make sure the plants grow healthy and without any pests, mold, or fungus. There are people and machines that pick and sort through grapes, picking out damaged or moldy grapes, sticks, and bugs that may have gotten picked up along the way.

When you think about the land, time, materials, and labor required to grow and harvest grapes before turning them into the delicious elixir we call wine, it truly is an agricultural labor of love!

Today, I want to dig a little deeper into the grape growing process so we can all have a better understanding (and appreciation!) for where our favorite beverage comes from.

Let’s start with the grapes themselves.

Compared to table grapes (aka the ones you typically eat), wine grapes are smaller and much sweeter. Table grapes typically have thinner skins and thicker pulp for ideal eating, while wine grapes have more sugar (which will turn into alcohol), more juice vs pulp, lots of seeds, and thicker skins which add the color and tannin to red wines. Not great for eating, but perfect for winemaking! 

Now, onto the vines.

Newly planted vines take a couple of seasons to actually grow grapes. Even then, it’s not really until the third year that grapes are actually harvested from the new vine for winemaking, plus  another 3 years before the vine produces optimal fruit! From that point, you have about a 15 year window of good grapes before the vine, just like us, starts slowing down. You can already see why the vines themselves can be a huge (and precious) expense!

Next, the life cycle of the wine grapes.

The vines are dormant in the winter, similar to how your houseplants may not grow as much or don’t flower when it’s cold. Once temperatures climb above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the vines wake up and start creating happy green buds. This time period is called “bud break” and is a precarious time for the vine, as the vines and buds can be damaged if it suddenly cools down again.

A grape vine flowering to create the foundation for fruit, known as berry set or fruit set

The vines then continue to grow, with fruits emerging a couple months after bud break (called “fruit set”) before they begin to take on color (or go translucent, if it’s a white grape) about a month and a half after that (called “veraison”). Finally, harvest takes place about a couple of months after veraison.

The vine flowering to create the foundation for grapes, known as "berry set" or "fruit set."Image courtesy of the National Wine School

Throughout this time, wineries have to keep bugs and pests away from the grapes, keep an eye on any fires, storms, or other extreme temperatures that might damage the vines, and just generally make sure the vines are happy and producing delicious grapes for harvest.

When harvest does roll around in the fall, it could happen on a moment’s notice. Winemakers are checking the grapes to see what the sugar and acid levels are (is it balanced or underripe?), or how the seeds and skins have developed for red wine. Some grape varietals will be harvested before others. Some vineyards on really steep hills will need to be harvested by hand, while others can be harvested by machine. A sudden rainstorm may mean harvesting a day earlier than expected. Anything could happen, and your entire year’s income is relying on harvesting the grapes at the right time.

Side note: Can you imagine if your entire income relied on making sure your houseplants not only stayed alive but thrived year after year?!

Now that the grapes are off the vine…the work continues!

First comes the sorting of the grapes and the crush.

You’re making sure any moldy or damaged grapes don’t make it into the wine. No extra leaves, no random sticks. No bugs. No spiders. *shivers* 

Then, you need to separate the juice from the stems, skins, and seeds for fermentation. This could happen with a machine called a crusher-destemmer, or a more modern wine press which does all of the work.

Note: The grape juice is called “the must,” in case you want to sound super knowledgeable at your next winery visit.

Winemakers putting grapes through the destemmer at Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery. Image courtesy of Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery

It’s not until this point that you finally get into the fermentation process and aging and blending and bottling and labeling…and, of course, there’s the distributing, marketing, and sales.

It’s a lot of work!

A friend recently asked me if I’d ever want to just sell everything, move to Napa and make wine. My answer was vehemently “NO.” As evidenced by  my comments on houseplants, I don’t have the greenest thumb, so I don’t think agricultural work is in my near future. Plus, I can’t imagine myself ever sorting through and willingly touching bugs. Nope. Absolutely not!

The next time you catch yourself wondering why an independent winemaker’s bottles are pricier than two-buck chuck, think about all of the grueling work that a team of people had to do to get that bottle into your hands.

And hopefully, the next time you visit a winery and look at the beautiful vineyards and meet the amazing people who work there, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for all of the work it takes to manage the vines on that land!

Heather Griffin
Partner at Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Merobebe

You were born right after your father, Bob Brakesman, purchased the land that would become Summit Lake Vineyards. What was it like to grow up not only in wine country, but into a winemaking family on a vineyard?

Heather Griffin

Growing up in Napa, I think, is like growing up anywhere rural. We were pretty far from town so had our "Rat Pack" of friends that we hung out with and saw every day.

Looking back, I think we were very lucky as kids...we would grab our bikes or ponies and take off to play, going in a general direction of where we thought we would be for the day. Summit Lake was also the place we could hang out as teens and do all the stupid things we are supposed to do growing up. My folks were typically around and could step in if needed or join the shenanigans.

It was also a lot of work, but I don't think we really knew that then. It was just what we did. 

Heather Griffin and her father on a tractor at Summit Lake Vineyards

Merobebe

What were some of the winery jobs you did as a child? Was there something in particular that was your favorite thing to do?

Heather Griffin

We were able to do everything!

One of my earliest memories of being in the vineyard is dragging a 3 gallon bucket around that had little round fertilizer tabs in it.  I just remember I had to put one in every hole as we planted the vines...I felt so included!

Harvest was always fun because there were so many people hanging around to "help"...we would pick, and then everyone would eat, drink, and stay up late to hot tub, and then bottle the next day. I think that was the most fun.

I was on the tractor as soon as I could reach the brakes and levers to steer. We had an old caterpillar tractor when we started, and you had to steer it by hitting the brake on one side or the other and pull the lever on the side you wanted to turn to....I took out my fair share of fence pieces and got the gondolas stuck on the ends of the vine rows more times than I can count. I don't know why they let me drive!

Merobebe

Did you know that you'd eventually end up in wine, and was there any pressure for you to work in the industry?

Heather Griffin

Hahaha, NO!  I really had no intention or drive to come back to our family business, but life is a funny thing. As I said, we always helped with harvest, and even came home for crush when we lived further away, but there was never any pressure to be there.

Harvest is like the holidays for farmers – you wait all year long and have one shot. There is an excitement and buzz during that time of year, and my parents always had an open door policy with all of us. We could come back to help or not. 

Heather with her brother, winemaker Brian Brakesman, and her father, founder of Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery

Merobebe

You officially joined Summit full time after your mother passed away. What were you doing previously?

Heather Griffin

I moved back to the Napa Valley in 1998 with my husband and our two girls. I was busy raising our girls, helping my mom part time at the winery, and working for a local veterinarian. Mostly just busy with our kiddos!

Merobebe

With vintages named after children and grandchildren, family is clearly a very important part of your winery! How do you think being family owned and operated has affected how you approach winemaking and how consumers interact with your winery?

Heather Griffin

Family has always been very important to all of us. My mom always made everyone feel welcome, at home, and like family immediately. We always had a lively and full house, both with family members and other people who lived with our family over the years. I am very proud of our family and our family business, and feel very lucky to be able to continue working with my Dad and brothers. It's very special to me to be able to share that with people when they come to visit and taste wine with us.

Merobebe

What is a typical day (or week) like in the life of a partner at a winery?

Heather Griffin

I feel like no day is typical when you run your own business!

There are days you get stuck at the computer having to do all the usual things to keep the lights on, and there are days we are hosting guests for tastings. Then there are the days you think you are going to do one thing, and then you have to take your dog to the vet for some emergency, or a tree comes down and you have to go clear the road. All of that being said, we live in a really beautiful place and I wouldn't trade it in!

Merobebe

What would you say are some of the most fun and most difficult parts of winemaking and owning a winery? 

Heather Griffin

The most fun is harvest and sharing our wine with people...that's easy to do! The hard part is cash flow...Money comes in one bottle at a time, and out in massive chunks!

Merobebe

If you could have any job in the wine industry (besides your current one), what would it be?

Heather Griffin

Events! I love to throw a good party

Merobebe

Anything else you'd like to share?

Heather Griffin

Two things! First, I want to encourage people to support their local family farmers! Not just us, but try to find things that come from a local source that you can trace, and have a connection with the things that go into your body.

Second, grow something! Put your hands into dirt. There is something magical and grounding when you grow things. If you kill it, try again, ask questions, and find a community.  Everyone has space to grow something.

Get a wine-related movie or book pairing for your weekend.

Today’s pairing is Wine People by author Michelle Wildgen

This novel follows Wren and Thessaly, two young women who both land coveted jobs at a New York City boutique wine importer. When an important business trip to Europe forces them to work together, they form an alliance to take on the male-dominated wine industry and change their careers.

A Time magazine “25 New Books You Need to Read This Summer,” this page-turner is also filled with mouth-watering descriptions of the food and wine Wren and Thessaly encounter throughout Europe.

Grab a glass and get comfy because you might want to read through this in one sitting! 

Read the reviews and get Wine People from a local bookstore here.

See you tonight!

For those of you who are joining our virtual wine tasting & discussion on women and leadership, I’ll see you via Zoom tonight at 5:30 pm PST/8:30 pm EST.

Otherwise, have a great week and I’ll be back in your inbox with more wine fun on Wednesday!

Cheers,

Megumi