Well, it's been quite a sweaty week but we've finally cracked the Pinotage, in spite of the multiple delays from suspect sugar analyses and various hiccups at the cellar.
After a false start on Block 32 (where the sugars were registering 24), we switched to picking block 36 on the request of the production manager (where the sugars were even lower...!). A day's break (for us) while Stiaan's team worked on another farm, gave both blocks a little more time to get their act sorted but, come Thursday, inspite of the temperature being in the high 30s, the balling only crept upwards by .5 or so. Plus the heat was clearly getting to the testing staff who messed up the readings by forgetting to empty the drill of water before testing the grapes... ho hum. I was also concerned that the team might not pitch for work the next day after such a hot day in the sun and, sure enough, the numbers had dwindled inspite of the lure of Friday being pay day. But it worked out better that there were fewer workers since Franschhoek was also having yet another 'bad hair' day and held up both our deliveries as they tried to sort out yet one more glitch.
So, the final day for the Pinotage had to be Monday where we finally scored the elusive 26° on our score card. The team worked well until lunch when one driver's insistence on an early lunch meant that his return leg was delayed and the team ended up being split between two farms, with our half clearly being the sleepier ones (Pete went down mid-afternoon to rouse three or four from their slumber under the trees...!). But once again there was an upside; their prolonged day ensured 'Nana and Baboo' could catch a glimpse of the harvest in full swing as they arrived off their plane from the UK.
After a false start on Block 32 (where the sugars were registering 24), we switched to picking block 36 on the request of the production manager (where the sugars were even lower...!). A day's break (for us) while Stiaan's team worked on another farm, gave both blocks a little more time to get their act sorted but, come Thursday, inspite of the temperature being in the high 30s, the balling only crept upwards by .5 or so. Plus the heat was clearly getting to the testing staff who messed up the readings by forgetting to empty the drill of water before testing the grapes... ho hum. I was also concerned that the team might not pitch for work the next day after such a hot day in the sun and, sure enough, the numbers had dwindled inspite of the lure of Friday being pay day. But it worked out better that there were fewer workers since Franschhoek was also having yet another 'bad hair' day and held up both our deliveries as they tried to sort out yet one more glitch.
So, the final day for the Pinotage had to be Monday where we finally scored the elusive 26° on our score card. The team worked well until lunch when one driver's insistence on an early lunch meant that his return leg was delayed and the team ended up being split between two farms, with our half clearly being the sleepier ones (Pete went down mid-afternoon to rouse three or four from their slumber under the trees...!). But once again there was an upside; their prolonged day ensured 'Nana and Baboo' could catch a glimpse of the harvest in full swing as they arrived off their plane from the UK.
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