Harvest ran LATE. The weird summer weather in the Willamette Valley caused the fruit harvest to be delayed by about 3 weeks. We didn't wrap up harvest till a couple days before Thanksgiving, which is unheard of. But in the end, the flavors that were coming out in the wine were awesome, and I think we narrowly missed a huge opportunity for disaster. We brought in just over 300 tons of fruit, when normally the vineyard produces over 400 tons. Considering that some other wineries in the valley produced NO fruit, this is AMAZING. Chris Mazepink really knows how to work the land, and made some great decisions that will ultimately lead to a great wine (that I got to help make!).
I made some great friends this summer and as far as new beginnings in new places goes, I couldn't have predicted the amount of awesomeness I would experience before the new year. Not only that, but the hands on experience I gained is so incredibly valuable, and I am very confident that I will soon be working full time in a brewery. There's no way to know how long it'll take, but I am taking every approach possible to apply my new found skills in Eugene's unique local brewing culture.
About 4 weeks ago, I called Oakshire Brewing to see about dropping off a resume. Sheerly by accident, I spoke to the head brewer, Joe Jasper. He told me that they were in fact not hiring, but did offer volunteer positions on the days they bottled beer. He invited me to come help and I have been down to lend a hand 4 times now. They do this once a week, which is perfect, since I am also working at another local spot, Track Town Pizza. They have been very supportive of my ambitions, and are very flexible with adjusting my schedule so I can help at the brewery.
Oakshire is neat because they are quite a bit smaller, and they produce some amazing Amber and and a fantastic NW Pale Ale. Their philosophy is "Humble brewers of delicious beer." I love it! They compost their own spent grain, and have a large urban garden. They keep chickens, and really grasp the sustainable approach to making beer. For now, I'm enjoying being a small part of their well thought out operation, and sure wouldn't mind working for them in the future. Till then, I'll just keep helping out wherever I can be useful.
