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- Rows of vines
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- Harvesters & Vines
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- Cutting a single grape cluster
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- Frontenac Grapes for the next “Meditation Wine”
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- Carl playing on the tractor
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- Grapes going into the crusher de-stemmer
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- Removing pulp
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- Grape juice being put into tanks
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- White wine grapes among the Red wine grapes
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- Schel with Winemaker Steve
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- Schel with Winemaker & Owner Maria
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- Beautiful View
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- After Harvest Celebration
On September 27, 2008 The Wine House had the opportunity to participate in a grape harvest at Parallel 44 in Kewaunee, Wisconsin.
The harvest begins bright and early in the morning, which means waking up at 5:30am in the morning to make the drive to Kewaunee. The goal was to pick as many of the ripe grapes before it was too hot. There were about 40 volunteers who helped with this years harvest. Some of the grapes we were going to pick today were Frontenac, Marchel Foch & Wisconsin wild grapes that will be a suprisingly interesting wine.
In the above photos, are some action shots and great views of the time I spent there. For myself, being a part of Parallel 44’s harvest was a welcoming memory of harvests I’ve been a part of in the past. I never would have thought in all my 10 years of being in Wisconsin I’d be doing this. The day was magical, both young and old were eager and very excited about picking grapes. At one point, I was thinking to myself, this is wonderful, I would stand up and look up and down the rows and would not feel as though I was in Wisconsin. I often times thought I was in California or the vineyards of Italy. Then I would hear laughter and play and couples competing seeing who could pick the most grapes. Most of all, you were detached from live’s everyday pressures and all that mattered was nature and the grapes. So, you will pick a little and taste a little 
As I walked from row to row, suddenly I came across what I would say is a miracle, amongst the many rows of red grape vines there was one vine full of ripe white grapes. It was the talk of the harvest, the taste of the grapes were ripe, juicy and delicious. It is hard to restrain myself from eating more.
As I walked from row to row, suddenly I came across what I would say is a miracle, amongst the many rows of red grape vines there was one vine full of ripe white grapes. It was the talk of the harvest, the taste of the grapes were ripe, juicy and delicious. It is hard to restrain myself from eating more. Every now and then I would venture up to the winery where they were processing the freshly picked grapes. Everyone was working so hard and quickly. Here is an exciting side note: some of the grapes we picked were for next years “Meditation wine”. For those of you who haven’t tried this wine, you are missing out. Next year’s vintage will be even better. Myself and the rest of the harvesters will proudly say, “we helped make that wine.”
Overall, it was a day to be remembered forever as long as there is wine, laughter and life. I would like to thank Carl, Steve, Maria, Barbara & Ruth (hey Ruth I didn’t forget about you-she pours the wine in the tasting room), for being great hosts, good friends and making good wine. Now I am going to say to all who is reading this blog, if you are from Wisconsin or another state or country, if you are ever in Kewaunee in the Fall, we are harvesting grapes here and continuing a tradition of winemaking. Oh yeah! I almost forgot, there was one patch of grapes left in the vineyard and those grapes will be used for Parallel 44’s first Icewine. To be harvested possibly in January 2009 if not before.
If anyone would like to share their harvest experience, please make a comment.
Schel, TWH
