For those who don’t know, harvesting wine may be one of the most physically taxing and exhausting jobs out there.  I was able to see for myself the process of harvesting wine with Bob Cabral and Ryan Prichard of Three Sticks Wines. Bob is the Wine Director while Ryan is a Winemaker. Bob and Ryan are some of the most humble people I know, channeling their time and energy into crafting gorgeous wines. Read on for more about this Three Sticks Wines Harvest!

Also, you may have seen Three Sticks Wines on the blog before. That’s because I absolutely adore everyone at Three Sticks Wines! Ryan is a Winemaker I’ve gotten to know over the years and I’ve interviewed him twice, once on the blog and once on an Instagram Live, so be sure to check those out. They also have an amazing Adobe in Sonoma where I hosted a fantastic Spring Blogger Event in Sonoma that was a blast. As you can tell, everything Three Sticks Wines does is amazing so you can imagine my excitement when I was invited up to watch their team harvest Three Sticks Wines.

Three Sticks Wines Harvest & Winemakers Bob Cabral & Ryan Prichard

The grapes waiting to be sorted. The colors of these grapes are so vibrant and there is nothing like the smell of fresh grapes in a winery before they’re made into wine.

 Winemaker Ryan Prichard overseeing the grape sorting line. Here the grapes are all hand sorted tossing any grapes that don’t pass the test (maybe they’re too small or the grapes aren’t in ideal condition) to make the most perfect wine.

Former Asst Winemaker, Ashley Holland all smiles. Even though Harvest is typically a 2-3 month process it truly is the most exciting time of year for the winemaker team as they get to impact what ultimately becomes their vintage. It’s crazy to think a winemaker has only one chance a year to make the perfect vintage.

Bob and Ryan hard at work overseeing the grapes sorter spitting out the good grapes that are kept to produce Three Sticks Wines.

Various samples of the juice taken into the lab to be tested.

One of the jobs I was given was to count the number of seeds in various bags of grapes.

Each bag is noted by the type of grape and in this case the clone. This is a Pinot Noir grape which is a Swan clone.

Do those glass jars and containers remind you of chemistry class? The art of winemaking is scientific at its core, combining the artistry of individual winemakers and regional varieties as well.

Views from the lab of the winery and the team hard at work!

Snacking on some donuts to refuel.

One of the harvest interns overseeing punch over which is done within the tanks.

Views of the grapes fermenting in the tank.

Look at the lovely color of this wine!

The lovely Bob Cabral and Ryan Prichard. Bob and Ryan are some of the most down-to-earth people I know and it’s a pleasure to be able to work and chat with them.

These harvesters must wear harnesses to keep themselves safe during the harvesting process. With all the machinery, this Three Sticks Wines Harvest is definitely not a walk in the park!