In fact, we are standing in the middle of one in Novato, just off 101, about to pick grapes off the vines. People surround us, already hard at work; adults, teens and anyone else able to reach the vines. The purple grapes hang in fat clusters along the bottom of the vines, which are planted in neat rows running up a pretty hillside.
Ranch owner Herb Rowland, Jr., cowboy hat perched on his head, encourages the younger set.
"Pick every darn purple thing you can find," he says.
Welcome to harvest day at Pacheco Ranch.
Every year, the family picks one day to harvest their seven acres of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Friends and far-flung relatives make the trek to Novato to help with the harvest. They've been doing it every year since the mid-1970s. We found out about the harvest when we profiled Pacheco Winery last year which is why we find ourselves smack dab in a vineyard at this early hour, on a weekend morning.
"It's going to be a well-oiled machine" says Rowland.
It looks pretty well-oiled to us, except for "Little Red" one of the Rowland's tractors that won't start. Herb's daughter, Cassie and another ranch-hand are examining it.
We grab a lug--the plastic container that looks like a small laundry basket but is used to hold the just-cut bunches of grapes--grab a knife and take heed of Herb's instructions.
"Wear a glove," he tells us, "Cut the grape bunch off at the green part of the stem [it's easier] and be careful you don't take off a finger."
Ok, we'll try not to do that.
Praggya, a 26-year-old family friend from Oakland echoes him, "It's a lot of fun, I like working outdoors in the fresh air.""I've participated in the harvest for the last ten years," he says, "I love it--it's an annual thing--good to be around family and friends. It's a great way to spend a beautiful autumn day."
Everyone is picking grapes from two specific rows--the reserve grapes. Those are the grapes that will get a little extra attention from harvest to bottling, for the reserve wine. All the wine produced at Pacheco is estate bottled, by the way.
Herb Rowland the Third--Herb Jr's 26-year-old son who is dressed identically to his Dad--stops to check our progress. We ask him how they figure out when to harvest the grapes.
Herb III tells us that he and his father test the grapes for sugar content, but it usually just comes down to how the grapes taste. Both of them chose the rows we're standing in for the reserve.
"We picked these grapes, because they are right in the the middle of the vineyard. They are somewhat "stressed" which is good for grapes. All these grapes get picked and crushed first."
There are seven acres of Cabernet grapes on the 70-acre property. Unfortunately, we are only harvesting about five acres today.
It seems a small hole in a fence on the southern two acres allowed the deer in. They stripped the vines and only two lugs full of grapes were harvested. Herb Jr. tells us they usually get about a hundred lugs of grapes from those vines.
At the winery, it's another scene altogether.
A handful of men are standing around some equipment laughing up a storm. In the middle of the group is "Big" John O'Neil, long-time friend and partner of Herb Rowland. He manages the crush and has been with Herb since the 70s.
"Looks good, real good," says O'Neil, "We've got good sugar content, and good color."
The sugar content, it seems, is a huge factor in the wine-making process. Winemakers use a measurement called 'brix' to assign it a sugar content number. In Pacheco's case, they've chosen 21 brix as the time to pick the grapes.
Still, Herb Jr insists that it's "more art than science" when determining when to pick.
The guys start loading the grapes into the crusher/stemmer machine. It spits out the stems, seeds and other large material and the deep purple juice flows out and into the stainless steel tanks where it will ferment. In the wine making process, it's ideal to get the just-picked grapes to the crush as quickly as possible; at Pacheco the goal is about 20 minutes from vine to tank.
Everyone works quickly and in concert, and it occurs to us that what Herb Jr. said earlier about a "well-oiled machine" is entirely true.
"We've had the same people cutting the same vines," says O'Neil, "We're really a family; everyone knows what to do."
Around 11:30 or so, lunch break is called and everyone gathers on the back patio to feast on the hot dogs, coleslaw, potato salad, fruit and cookies.
Kenyon takes the last batch of hot dogs off the grill and immediately begins building a new fire for the lamb. He's using oak bark and logs, and mesquite charcoal in the massive in-ground pit in preparation for about 7 legs of lamb that will be thrown on the grill later for dinner.
"Once you've been here awhile, you're considered family," says Kenyon.
His 18-year-old daughter Samantha has been coming to Pacheco's harvest since she was in diapers. At 13, she began to pick grapes.
Gary McCall, a friend of the Rowlands since the early 80s, is working furiously. He's known as the fastest picker of the bunch and Herb insists McCall "picks faster than the darn professionals."
We catch up to McCall at the end of the row. Although he is considered the 'master picker' he gives credit to everyone else.
"We have a more seasoned crew" he says referring to the old days, "Once you become friends with Herb, you're just expected to help [with the harvest]."
Isn't that a bit of a drive for a harvest, we ask?
McCall shakes his head. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."
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For more information on Pacheco Ranch Winery, check their website here.
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