I spent the day Thursday volunteering at the production/cellar facilities of Thomas Fogarty winery in Woodside. I now have a new, grand appreciation for the manual labor involved during a winery's "off season" period. As barrels were being racked to a huge stainless steel variable capacity tank, we moved the barrels (mainly Nadalie french oak, same as my last vintage) outside to capture any remaining lees and do an interior/exterior cleaning. The steam on the picture above is from the rotating hot water spray inside a barrel which was then followed by an ozone+water wash for sterilization. It was wet, exhausting work, but everyone there including the winemakers were more than happy to answer my continuous newbie questions. And the view and fresh ocean air from the ridge couldn't be beat.
