By Steve Hicks

I remember the first time I participated in the “crush.” It seems like yesterday, but it was almost 30 years ago. I had invested in a winery project in Gilroy and we had built our building, purchased our equipment and contracted for grapes. The only problem was we were not sailing through the licensing process. The grapes started arriving, and we began crushing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrived and said we couldn’t do that without a license. I believe we said we would talk to Mother Nature to see if she could stop the grapes from ripening! The ATF relented, and the fun began in earnest.

There is always a lot to be said about the romance of the harvest, but let me tell you, the romance can fade fast. It is hard work, and as long as the grapes keep coming, you keep working. We were not experienced so it was a trial by error until we got the system working efficiently. It is almost a guarantee some part of the equipment will break and slow things down.

Since we were a new winery we had not yet planted our own vines. Our grapes arrived in plastic-lined crates that were approximately 6 feet square. The crates were left on a side of a hill on the other side of the crushing pad. I was designated the forklift operator because I volunteered that my father let me drive a tractor on the farm when I was 12. Big mistake!

The challenge was to put the forklift tines under a slanted box without spearing the box and letting the juice leak out. It was not an easy task with light; at night it was next to impossible. There were lots of laughs but no romance. As I write this I am looking at a yellow toy replica of a Caterpillar forklift that was later given to me in honor of my “heroic” though somewhat futile efforts.

That same harvest, I lost control of the hose that was pumping crushed red grapes. I became a purple person, and the winery still bears faint stains from the miscue. Would I do it again? Just call me.

Napa has a big crush this year with excellent quality. The cool-climate pinot noir areas of the Russian River and the Sonoma Coast are anticipating only half the usual crop. A rain in May when the pinot noir was blooming cut the crop. The good news is less yield usually means more intense flavor. Keep your fingers crossed it doesn’t rain during harvest. Pinot noir is tightly clustered, and moisture in the clusters can cause mold and damage the grapes. Pinot noir sales are still soaring since the movie “Sideways,” with increases exceeding 50 percent. Expect rising prices when the supply diminishes.

Carneros, Monterey, Central Coast and Santa Barbara all expect average to above-average yields and good to exceptional quality. Cabernet and zinfandel yields will be up and merlot will be down, as it was also blooming in many locations when the May storm hit.

It is an exciting time to be around a winery. Last year almost four million tourists visited the Napa area alone during the harvest period.

Steve Hicks is a wine consultant who lives in Los Altos Hills.