Vineyards Get Into the Spirit : North County Wineries Host Grape Harvest Celebrations

Don’t know the difference between Brix and Brie? Think “must” is an offensive odor? Prefer Welches’ grape juice over this year’s Beaujolais? Good news. Now is the time when all aspiring oenophiles can take a crash course in wines, thanks to this year’s upcoming grape harvest.

North County and Temecula Valley wineries will begin harvesting any day and are inviting average Joes to come, look, taste and sometimes even work during the frenzy of grape picking and crushing.

Wine from North County and Temecula was once considered an interesting novelty. No more. Some wineries are producing wines of distinction--medal winners in such prestigious contests as the Orange County Fair, considered a major test among wine competitions.

But, before wine can be smelled, swilled and slurped in a taste test, it has to be plucked from vines in the form of grapes. That’s where some of the most crucial moments in wine making take place. If the chemistry inside the grapes isn’t right, the wine won’t be right.

Wine makers test for two main traits. First, there is the Brix, or sugars in the grapes. Brix (pronounced “bricks”) is measured in degrees. For example, Chardonnay grapes are harvested at about 23 degrees Brix, said Callaway’s wine maker Dwayne Helmuth. Generally, the riper the grapes, the higher the sugar content.

Secondly, growers test for the pH, the degree of acidity, so that the grapes will yield wine without bitter taste.

When the time is right, work crews enter the fields and pick or cut bunches of grapes from the vines. These are placed in a gondola, a large metal container that holds about 2 tons of grapes. Once full, the gondola is towed to the winery and its contents are dumped into a giant hopper.

The hopper sends the grapes into the stemmer, where the berries are separated from their stems. Once separated, the grapes fall between two rubber rollers, like an old-style laundry wringer, where the skins are broken. At this point the mixture of skin, juice and other material is called must.

The must is pumped into a dejuicer, sort of a large colander, that allows the juice to drain away from the rest of the must. The resulting free run juice is pumped into the winery where it is allowed to settle and cool overnight before beginning fermentation. At Callaway, the whole process from hopper to winery lasts about seven minutes.

Traditionally, the grape harvest is met with all kinds of celebrations. This year will be no different. Wineries are planning a variety of events, and nearly all welcome public viewing of their harvest activities. Some wineries use grape juice extracted from distant locales, so, if viewing the harvesting process is a must, call the winery you plan to visit.

Here is a list of wineries and harvest activities being staged in the North County and Temecula Valley during the next two months.

BAILY

Phil and Carol Baily run this winery by themselves, so they are unable to hold large events. Still, they do manage to offer tastings of fermenting juice during the harvest. The winery is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for free tasting.

36150 Pauba Road, Temecula.

714-676-WINE

BERNARDO WINERY

This is San Diego’s oldest winery, but most of its land has been sold off to developers. All that remains is a processing plant where contracted grapes are turned into wine. The public is not invited to see the crush, since most of it takes place about 5 in the morning.

13330 Paseo del Verano Norte, Rancho Bernardo.

487-1866

CALLWAY

Now owned by liquor giant Hiram Walker, Callaway is the largest winery in the region, with a production of more than 200,000 cases yearly. Helmuth expects the harvest to begin about Aug. 20 and last three weeks. Grapes will be harvested every day except Sunday. Tastings cost $2 and include three wines and a souvenir glass. Tours run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The annual Callaway Harvest Picnic is this Saturday, but reservations are hard to come by.

32720 Rancho California Road, Temecula.

714-676-4001

CILURZO

Vince and Audrey Cilurzo are becoming known for throwing a good party. Last year they hosted a harvest festival that was so successful they expanded it to two days. This year, the event will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 29 and 30. Adults will pay $40, children $15. Admission includes finger foods, tastings, entertainment and even a grape stomp, an old method for extracting juice that hasn’t been used for years.

Wine tours are free. During the harvest, the public will be able to see crushing. The interested can even volunteer to help in the winery.

41220 Calle Contento, Temecula.

800-783-5250

CLOS DU MURIEL

Wine maker Tom di Bello will host a grape stomp during a festival in mid-to-late September. According to di Bello, Clos du Muriel is undergoing some major upgrading that people can see during a free tasting and tour. During harvest season, the public will be able to watch the crush. Di Bello is also planning weekend barbecues.

40620 Calle Contento, Temecula.

714-676-2938

CULBERTSON

This winery specializes in champagnes using the ancient methode champagnois. The French, being the French, argue that nothing that is not produced in the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne, so if you want to be a purist, call it sparkling wine. Either way, the winery has already begun harvesting from its vineyards along the Central Coast of California. The Temecula winery receives only the juice.

Culbertson will begin a jazz series in October. Winery tours are free. The winery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. There is a $5 fee for tasting.

32575 Rancho California Road, Temecula.

714-699-0099

DEER PARK

Paul Seeley, general manager of Deer Park, is planning a harvest festival for Aug. 26. For $5, visitors can taste wine, eat hot dogs and hamburgers and visit a classic convertible car museum. The winery will be squeezing some Chardonnay grapes so people can taste the juice and compare it to the end product. Since most of the juice the winery uses comes from St. Helena, Deer Park’s crush will last only one or two days in mid-September.

29013 Champagne Blvd., Escondido.

749-1666

FERRARA’S

For 57 years, this wine-making family has been crushing grapes in Escondido and, starting in mid-September, they do it again. Winery tours and tasting are free. The winery is open for visits daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

1120 W. 15th Ave., Escondido.

745-7632

FILSINGER

Weekends are the best time to visit this winery, as spectators can take their own self-guided tours. Appointments are necessary to see the winery during the week. There is no fee for tasting, and visitors will be able to see the crush during the harvest season.

39050 De Portola Road, Temecula.

714-676-4594

FRENCH VALLEY

This family-run, 4-acre winery is operated by the Borels of Murrietta. They plan no special harvest events, but they do conduct tours of the winery and hold free tastings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

36615 Briggs Road, Murrieta.

714-926-2175

HART

Because this winery has limited public facilities, it doesn’t hold large events. Still, tastings are available on weekends and during the week by appointment.

32850 Rancho California Road, Temecula.

714-676-6300

JAEGAR

During the harvest season Jaegar brings grapes into the winery’s tasting room so that tasters can sample the grapes and the wines made from each variety. The harvest will last about a month. During that time, the public can watch the crush and taste the wines at no charge. Jaegar also has a vineyard park suitable for picnics.

13455 San Pasqual Road, Escondido.

745-3553

MAURICE CARRIE

Things hop at this winery during harvest. On the last Sunday of every month, the winery hosts guests for music and entertainment from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for $5. On Aug. 18, the winery will hold a barn dance, but reservations are at a premium. Visits and tastings are free, and visitors can see the crush during harvest.

34225 Rancho California Road, Temecula.

714-676-1711

MENGHINI

“If they come up to visit us, we’ll put ‘em to work,” said Carmen Ligget, who described herself as the , as in the only employee, at Menghini. Ligget, and Mike and Toni Menghini operate this small Julian winery and aren’t shy about asking for a little volunteerism. The winery will be holding its annual music and art festival Sept. 29 and 30. The trio of wine makers will be crushing grapes every weekend during that month.

1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian.

765-2072

MOUNT PALOMAR

Mount Palomar holds fall culinary events. Its harvest festival will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 and will offer Southwest cuisine for $45 per person. On Nov. 17, the winery will introduce its nouveau Beaujolais at a gourmet dinner costing $65 per person. Both events are by reservation only.

During the week, two daily tours are held free of charge, one at 1:30 p.m. and the other at 3:30 p.m. An additional 11:30 a.m. tour is offered on weekends. The tasting room is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and sips are free with the exception of the Chardonnay, which carries a 25 cent charge. Visitors can see the crush during the scheduled tour hours if the winery is crushing at the time. The harvest will last about a month.

33820 Rancho California Road, Temecula.

714-676-5047

JOHN PICONI

Owner Ben Drake encourages visitors to come to his small winery during the week so there will be more time to tour his place. The harvest crush takes place from very early morning to mid-afternoon and should last until late September. Tasting costs a dollar, which can be applied to the purchase of wine.

33410 Rancho California Road, Temecula.

714-676-5400