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January 3, 2008 Oliver, BC...
January 3, 2008
Oliver, BC... While most people were snug in their beds sleeping off the evening's cocktails and champagne, Sandra Oldfield and her team at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards were busy harvesting icewine. From 5:00-8:00am on New Year's Day, approximately six tonnes of Kerner Icewine was picked from about 1.25 acres of grapes. The team of 17 also included Border Collie Zoe, who Oldfield jokes, would have been put to work if only she had opposable thumbs.
During the pick, which was done almost entirely in the dark (except for a few overhead lights and shining headlights from the teams' cars and tractors), the outside air temperature was between -11C and -9C and three or four inches of snow blanketed the vineyard. The grapes, which came in at 47.8 brix, were immediately put into the press and were pressed until the evening. Approximately 700 cases of Kerner Icewine will result from this harvest, to be released in Summer 2008.
Of ringing in the New Year with an icy harvest, Tinhorn Creek Winemaker Sandra Oldfield says: "The quality of the juice looks great and we are all pleased to finally have it in. Once the grapes were harvested we celebrated with some Blanc de Noir Champagne (it was New Year's Day after all) and a healthy amount of Bailey's in our coffee. Since we had to monitor the press for the next eight hours, my Assistant Winemaker Korol Kuklo and I watched the foodie cult classic Babette's Feast on my Mac Book in the cellar while we waited for the drip dripping to stop."
